


Our hearts met under the full moon

by cristallodineve



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee, 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Angst, Dark Magic, Demons, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Non-Consensual, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:16:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 61,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7999972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cristallodineve/pseuds/cristallodineve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luhan, a still immature omega, is kidnapped by the once powerful pack of Neugdaes, since he's the only one who can save the life of their leader. But love, and intrigue, get in the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my native language, so please be kind with me. Also, a little warning: in my own omegaverse, betas can mate omegas as well ~~because I can, hah~~. I hope you'll enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing this story. ^_^

The van was proceeding at a steady speed on the bumpy road. Luhan was nauseous because of all the jumps and jerks, and he kept clutching at the cage bars not to be tossed on its bottom every time the car hit a hole or made a sudden turn. His head hurt and there was a nasty bump on his temple, where the men who caught him hit him to make him stop screaming, also his nails were bloody and chipped, because he had been trying like crazy to scratch at the corners of the cage to set himself free. He really had no idea about how he could have possibly escaped from a moving van without windows, but he hated the cage. He hated the _feeling_ of it, its smell, the faint trace of urine and blood and God only knew what else. How many poor wolves went inside that cage? And how many of them actually survived, when the pack was done with them?

«Let me go» he cried out. «I told you, my family is rich. They’ll give you money.»

The two men in the front seat didn’t even turn to look at him, one of them absorbed in driving, the other scrolling down his fancy cell phone screen. Luhan was desperate. He had been trying to remember all the turns of the vehicle, in the mad attempt to understand where it was heading, but he lost his sense of direction in a few minutes.

«Please» he whined, in a pathetic voice he hated, «please, let me go.»

One of the men suddenly turned towards him, and Luhan pressed his back to the bars, terrified. In the darkness he couldn’t see his face properly, but now the lights were on in the cabin, and he slowly took in how truly terrifying he looked. «Just shut up, kid» the man growled, letting his wolf show for a second, but it was enough. Luhan’s tongue got stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he fell back on his knees, starting to cry bitterly. Why was he so stupid? He should have listened to what his family kept telling him: never get out late when it’s dark, because there’s bad people outside, people who kidnaps omega wolves for their personal use. He was young and arrogant, and he never really cared about those warnings. And now he was paying for it.

A cell phone rang, and the man who talked to him picked up. «Yeah?»

He kept silent for a while, listening. Luhan tried to eavesdrop, but the engine’s noise prevented him from hearing the voice talking from the other side of the line. «We’ll be getting there in a few minutes» the man said, rather curtly. «No obstacles along the way.»

He listened for another couple seconds, then he scoffed. «No. He’s just a teen, and he keeps whining. He’s getting on my nerves.»

«Calm down» the man who was driving told him, and the scary wolf grumbled some but he looked a little less hostile. Luhan looked more closely at the couple. The one talking into the phone had his hair dyed blonde and had his left ear almost covered in dangling piercings. His face was rather handsome, but his nose looked weird, as if it had been broken in the past. Luhan wasn’t very good at detecting ranks, but he was sure he was an alpha, or at least a beta. The driving one... well, he couldn’t be sure about him, but it looked like he had some authority over the blonde one, so maybe he was higher in rank. Then was he an alpha, and the blonde a beta? It totally didn’t look like that, though. The blonde looked much more intimidating and ferocious.  

«Yeah» the blonde was still blurting out into the phone, «yeah. I’ll make sure of that. No, I didn’t. I just did what was necessary to make him stop screaming. No blood, and I think you can hear he’s alive and well. He keeps rustling like a rat to get out of the cage. I can’t stand this noise.»

Luhan stilled, frozen. Unconsciously, his fingers kept trying to force the bars out of their lodging, producing a rattling noise. His right hand was covered in blood, but Luhan had so much adrenaline running through his body that he could barely feel the pain. «Please» he repeated, talking loud in purpose, and this time he saw the blond man stiffen visibly, while the person on the phone asked him something.

«No, I didn’t» he told, quickly and worriedly, «I swear.»

«Please, help me!» Luhan repeated, screaming, determined not to waste his occasion, but he wasn’t prepared for the blonde wolf’s speed. He saw him climb over the seat, falling over the van’s bottom and shove a hand inside the cage’s bars in a blink of an eye, and he realized it just when the man’s sweaty and callused palm was pressed over his mouth, clenching his face in a painful way. «Don’t let me say things twice, kid» the man whispered, fury oozing from his face, «don’t fucking make noise.»

Luhan whimpered, tears falling from his eyes. Meanwhile, the other wolf, the one who was still driving, picked up the phone. «The kid’s alright» he confirmed, sounding totally unimpressed with his companion’s show, «Kai isn’t patient, as usual, but everything’s under control.»

The wolf called Kai hissed at the other one, but he kept driving without the slightest worry. «We’ll be arriving shortly. Gather the others, and make sure Jongdae and Kyungsoo are available. The kid’s upset and needs rest.»

A brief pause, and then the driver ended the call. «You were about to screw up everything» he angrily spat, turning to face the blonde. «You brainless idiot.»

Luhan saw the man shiver under that harsh reprimand. «I know, alpha» he murmured, «I’m sorry.»

«You’re always sorry» the other retorted, «but you never change. Expect a punishment, when we’ll arrive.»

Kai’s eyes widened. He must be younger that what Luhan thought, and he guessed right about the hierarchy.  «No» the wolf weakly protested, «not again.»

«Joonmyeon wanted you out of the pack already» the driver reminded him, «because you’re too rebellious. I had to _beg_ him to let you in again. And don’t think I’ll ever forget it.»

Kai let Luhan go, growling softly, and Luhan braced himself against the bars, trying to get the farthest away from him. He heard enough, and he was getting frantic with fear.

Everybody knew who  Joonmyeon was. And everybody was afraid of him.

That was the very moment when he realized he would never return home, and that he was lost. He started sobbing, letting himself fall against the bottom of that stinky and disgusting cage. He remembered the mischievous, vaguely triumphant feeling he got while carefully climbing down from his bedroom’s window, and he regretted disobeying his mother’s warning. He thought she was being overdramatic and hyper protective as usual, since he was a grown boy and stuff. He turned eighteen just recently, and he felt the strong need of breaking the rules.

How he’d been stupid.

«Now calm down, kid» the driver told him, sternly but not in an angry voice. He was talking like someone who expected people to obey his orders. Maybe he was a commander of some sorts in Joonmyeon’s pack. «Nobody is going to harm you. Don’t believe the stories you heard about us, okay? They’re all lies.»

«But...» Luhan began, amidst the sobs, but then he stopped, seeing Kai’s glare. Joonmyeon was the strongest wolf in the region, his pack almost a legend, collecting only the strongest alphas and betas. Joonmyeon was the hero who fought away the invasion of the Chinese wolves a few years before, and that battle, the War of Blood, casted a black shadow over him and his pack. Luhan remembered waking up one day and switching on TV to hear some news, just to rush at the bathroom, his stomach retching madly at the sight of the live footage of dead bodies lying on the ground, all horribly disfigured. The Korean wolves won over the Chinese, but a good half of both packs fell on the battlefield. Since the War of Blood, Joonmyeon and his pack kept discreet, but they were still watching over the borders. Rumours were that the Chinese wolves were organizing another attack, and the common people, as well as weak wolves like Luhan, were living in fear at the thought.

«The War of Blood was a despicable thing» the driver went on, in a gentler tone, «but the truth’s a little different from what the media spread. You’ll like it at our headquarters. Joonmyeon is very generous with his pack members.»

Sensing that the man didn’t seem as fierce as Kai, Luhan took a little courage and looked right into the driver’s eyes into the rear-view mirror. «So, why did you kidnap me? Because you _generously_ wanted me to be part of your pack?»

He saw a dangerous light shine in those dark eyes, and for a moment he feared he’d have ruined everything. He didn’t actually mean to be sarcastic, but he was the younger son of a wealthy family, and he used to act arrogant all the time, since nobody stopped him. «I didn’t mean...» he stuttered, trying to make it better, but the driver interrupted him.

«You have every right to think this way» he admitted, quietly, «but I swear there’s a reason for all of this. You’ll know when you’ll meet Joonmyeon, I’m not allowed to tell you.»

Luhan looked at him more closely. His hair were dyed a dark red, smooth and falling around his head in a bowl shape. That haircut would have looked weird on anyone, but it oddly suited the man’s facial features. He was young too, but the deep voice and the dirt smeared over his face made him look older.

Kai was fuming in his seat. «He’s only a spoiled brat, and his heat hasn’t hit yet. He’s just a child. This is not what we need. We should get rid of him and look for someone else.»

«Omegas are rare, and we don’t have time. He’ll be just fine.»

«What do you think will happen, when he’ll show up at the headquarters? Everybody will get crazy, when they’ll finally smell a new omega’s presence. I could barely contain myself, when I smelled him, his scent is too strong.»

«That’s good, Joonmyeon needs a strong one.»

«They’ll try to snatch him» Kai insisted, «with force.» He sounded scared, and Luhan’s worry kept increasing. What was making that strong wolf so frantic, exactly? Who was going to snatch who? His mind kept refusing to take in the concepts fully.

«I know. This is why Joonmyeon sent us. He trusted us to protect him. It’s important he’ll be untouched, when he meets our pack leader.»

«Chanyeol» Kai lowered his voice, maybe hoping that the sputtering engine’s noise would hide the whisper from Luhan’s ears, «this is so terribly wrong. What did we become? Kidnapping a child to let our pack leader fuck him? This is so...»

«Shut up.»

«This is so sick» Kai retorted, furious, slumping back into his seat. From his cage, Luhan heard everything, and cringed in panic.

What did he just say?

«Luhan» the man called Chanyeol calmly called him, «don’t listen to Kai. Nobody is going to harm you.»

Luhan become restless, tugging madly at the bars, trying to free himself. «Stupid boy» Kai growled. «Shall I stop him?»

Chanyeol just drove, immersed in silence. After a while, when it was evident that he couldn’t open the cage from the inside, Luhan fell back, exhausted. He started crying, wailing loudly.

«Christ, I can’t stand it.» Kai shifted on his seat, but Chanyeol shot him a glare.

«No, you can’t gag him. Let him cry.»

Luhan curled up like a ball inside the cage, shutting his eyes closed. And then he started doing something he very rarely did, being the spoiled brat he was—he started praying for his life.

\---oOo---

«Wake up, kid.»

The cage rattled loudly, and Luhan woke up with a jump. For a second, he just stayed put, breathing quickly, trying to remember who the fuck was the guy who just kicked the cage, and then everything occurred to him, slowly.

Kai, Chanyeol, the kidnapping, Joonmyeon, the War of Blood.

He let out a small, pained sound when Chanyeol knelt by the cage, studying him from up close. «We are at the headquarters, now. I am going to bring you inside of the building, but I want you to know that it’s going to be hard, since our alphas and betas haven’t had an omega for a lot of time. Your scent might upset them. Just keep close to us, and nothing will happen.»

God, Luhan thought, and who would protect him from _them_?

Chanyeol attempted a little, encouraging smile. «I’ll bring you to Joonmyeon, now. Come.»

That was the moment Luhan realized the cage’s door was open, and that, if he wanted, he could have crawled his way outside and flee. He doubted he could move his legs properly, though, and the wolves probably already knew, since none of them seemed worried about it.

Since he didn’t move an inch, Chanyeol reached out with his long arms inside of the cage, grabbing the boy and helping him out. Luhan wasn’t expecting it, but the man’s touch wasn’t rough, while he pulled him close to his chest.

«Hurry, Chanyeol» Kai warned them, «they’re coming. I can smell them.»

Luhan let himself fall against the man’s chest, while Chanyeol effortlessly lifted him from the ground, carrying him bridal-style. His whole body felt numb, and now he could definitely smell a few wolves approaching. And even if he wasn’t good at detecting hierarchies, he was sure they were all very powerful. «Oh, my God» he whimpered.

«Sssh» Chanyeol told him, «Kai and me will take care of them. Don’t worry.»

It was still dark, and Luhan couldn’t see anything besides a big, gray building that could have been an old villa, but he wasn’t sure. When the big, ornate front door cracked open, he hide his face against Chanyeol’s coat, closing his eyes and bracing himself for what would come next.

«Hello» a mocking voice greeted them. «What do we have here? I smell fresh meat.»

The man appeared on the threshold smiled at them, and Luhan immediately smelled his power. He was at least a beta, he was sure of that. He was lean and handsome, with regular and pale features, but his eyes were the darkest he ever saw.

«Hands off, Sehun» Kai spat, «he’s here for Joonmyeon.»

«Oh, I know that» the wolf purred, approaching them with graceful, cat-like steps. «I was just wondering if this little beauty would like making some new friends before. He smells so _delicious_.»

Kai bared his teeth and snarled, making Sehun stop, but not back away.

«Nervous, aren’t we, my friend?» the wolf asked, growling softly in the back of his throat. «Shall I teach you a little lesson?»

«Stop it, Sehun» Chanyeol interrupted them, clutching tighter at Luhan’s quivering body, «it’s an order.»

Sehun rolled his eyes. «You’re no fun, Chanyeol. I just wanted to make sure you got a good one for our beloved pack leader. What’s wrong with that?»

Chanyeol growled, and Luhan actually cried out when he felt the rush of sheer power arise in the air. Just how much could an alpha be strong? He had no idea, but Kai, who was just a beta, already looked terrifying to him.

That little display of force, though, sorted the effect they hoped, because Sehun immediately bent down, bowing deeply. «I’m truly sorry, alpha» he panted, «I went overboard. It’s just... it’s been so long I’ve smelled an omega... I’m so sorry...»

Chanyeol walked past him, followed by Kai, without turning. Peeking from above the alpha’s shoulder, Luhan saw that Sehun stayed bent in that odd position for long, even after their leaving.

«They aren’t bad» Chanyeol said, trying to sound reassuring, «I’ve known them for years, and I could trust them with my life. What Sehun said it’s true, though. They hadn’t been mating for too long, this is why they’re having troubles controlling their wolves, but don’t worry. Kai and me are here to prevent them from doing something stupid.»

Luhan blinked. «Uh... thanks.»

Chanyeol smirked. «Thank me later. Now we need to get you to Joonmyeon... and in one whole piece.»

Luhan shivered. The inside of the villa was obscure and menacing, and he could smell other wolves hidden in the darkness.

«You’re here, finally» a voice rang in the corridor. «I’ve already sent Jongdae to prepare Joonmyeon.»

Kai gasped in horror. «What? Why? Is he sick again?»  

«He is» the wolf who spoke said gravely, «but he insisted to see the omega, even if Yixing said he needed to rest for the whole night.»

Luhan looked at the wolf. He was small and very young, with tiny hands and feet. He whimpered, clutching at Chanyeol’s coat when the wolf lifted the candle to see his face. «Too young» he said, after studying him for a while. «I bet he didn’t reach his full sexual maturity yet.»

«This is what we found» Kai defended himself, irritated. «It’s not like we had many choices. The Chinese wolves already took down those who were able to procreate. I think he survived just because he’s half-Chinese, more than because he’s still not ready to mate.»

The small wolf suddenly asked Luhan directly. «Are you? Is one of your parents Chinese?»

Luhan frantically nodded. «M-my mom.»

The wolf nodded as well. «I see.»

«Kyungsoo» Chanyeol urged, «please, we need to see Joonmyeon, now. He has to mark him immediately, or he’ll be in danger. I managed to control Sehun, but I won’t be able to do anything if Tao, Yixing or Minseok smell him. And God only knows what could happen if Yi Fan is nearby.»

The wolf called Kyungsoo looked him coldly. «I told you» he quietly repeated, «that Jongdae is preparing him. Until then, you’ll have to wait, and to protect him with every middle.»

In that moment, Luhan was hit with another rush of sheer power, and with a smell so strong it left him breathless. He cried out sharply, but luckily Chanyeol already saw the danger approaching and reacted quickly.

He tossed the boy over his own shoulder, making him shriek in terror, and with a swift movement he kicked the attacking wolf in his guts, sending him flying on the floor.

«You’ll pay for this, Chanyeol» the wolf snarled, furious. «You won’t keep the omega all for yourself.»

«He’s for the leader, asshole. Pull yourself together.»

The wolf was clawing at the floor, and Luhan saw he could barely stand. He kept losing his balance, as if he was drunk or high on something. Kai started cackling. «Look at yourself» he mocked him. «You just smelled him and you’re already dizzy. And you wanted to fight Chanyeol, of all people.»

The wolf groaned and fell on the floor, writhing. Luhan was speechless. Was it his smell, which knocked out that wolf? He looked like a powerful beta. He had no idea that his mere presence could elicit such a reaction in a wolf who was stronger than him.

«Sorry, Tao» Chanyeol said, passing by the wolf’s prone body, «but this needs to be done. You’ll be grateful to us, afterwards.»

The beta let out a howl, a sound so feral that made Luhan cringe.

«We’re almost there» Kai said, sounding vaguely excited. «Almost.»

They started climbing a long staircase, Kyungsoo leading the way holding the candle. The villa was huge and maybe even luxurious, but Luhan really couldn’t understand why they were walking in the darkness without any light but a tiny flame. Was there a reason for that? He felt slow and dense, and it got on his nerves.

But he was still scared. Chanyeol talked about marks, previously. Well, he knew what a mark was, and he surely didn’t want an unknown wolf to bite down on his neck. Maybe, but only maybe, he could try telling the tall redhead, since he had been kind to him. Yeah, kind like a kidnapper could be.

«Uh... I don’t want to be marked.»

«Relax» Chanyeol told him, «it’s just a pro forma. You could say it’s the etiquette. Also, it’s a way to protect you from the betas. You saw them, and you felt their power. I am Kai and Sehun’s alpha, but I can’t control Tao, the one we saw before. He responds just to Yi Fan, as well as Yixing.»

«And Kyungsoo?» Luhan asked. «Is he a beta too?»

The small circle of light in front of them started to tremble, and Luhan saw that Kyungsoo was stifling a laughter, making the candle shake in his hold. «Do I look like one? Really?»

Unexpectedly enough, Kai slumped an arm around the other’s narrow shoulders. «Just to an inexperienced pup like him.»

And, under Luhan’s dumbfounded eyes, the beta bent slightly to kiss the smaller wolf’s plush lips. The omega actually saw the taller man’s tongue lick over Kyungsoo’s lower lip, in a very intimate and rather possessive way.

Chanyeol sighed. «Kyungsoo is an omega, but he’s already been claimed by Kai, so the others can’t touch him.»

Luhan blinked, trying to think straight. An omega and a beta. So... were those two...

«Oh my God» he murmured, startled, and Kai laughed aloud.

«You’re quite funny, kid» he roared, patting Luhan’s mussed head. «But yeah, Kyungsoo is my mate, and I’m his.»

Luhan shivered, noticing the fond look appearing in Kyungsoo’s big eyes. He had been told that betas and alphas mated omegas to let them have their pups. Mating meant fucking. And alphas or betas fucking omegas meant knotting.

He squirmed in Chanyeol’s hold, his terror reaching new levels, but the alpha’s arms were like steel. «Please, let me go» he whined. «I wanna go home.»

But another wolf was running to join them. He didn’t look ready to attack, and he was attractive and graceful. «He’s ready» he announced. For a moment, Luhan lost track of his thoughts while staring at him. He was almost impossibly thin, just as tall as Kyungsoo, and his face was a perfect balance of chiselled cheekbones, generous lips and elegantly shaped eyes. He wasn’t just attractive, he thought. He was beautiful. «You’ll have to be quick» the wolf added, «he’s very weak.»

Who was he talking about? Luhan was confused, but he noticed that Chanyeol quickened his pace, at those words, as well as Kai and Kyungsoo.

Two other wolves were standing outside of a closed door, guarding it. The taller of them bowed slightly when he saw Chanyeol, but then pursed his lips mimicking a kiss aiming at Luhan, who squirmed uncomfortably under that glare. The other wolf just stared at them, looking unimpressed. His eyes stared briefly at Luhan, but then he averted his gaze, fixating it on the floor.

They both moved to let them pass, and when Chanyeol knocked on the door, Luhan braced himself for whatever was waiting for him behind.

«Come» someone murmured from inside, and Chanyeol turned the knob.

Luhan was introduced in the complete darkness. Luckily, the beautiful wolf, Jongdae, took Kyungsoo’s candle, ushering them inside. Luhan could now see they entered a luxurious bedroom, with an ample bed in the middle. A man was laying on it, his back propped in a half-sitting position against a pile of pillows. He was small and somewhat thin, and he looked very sick. His face was so pale it looked like it was made of bones, in the dim light.

Kai, Kyungsoo and Jongdae bowed respectfully in front of the man, then Chanyeol bent his knees, genuflecting on the floor. Luhan clung to his neck, crazy with terror.

«It’s him, leader» Chanyeol said. «We brought him for you.»

The man on the bed raised a hand, motioning him to come closer. Luhan let Chanyeol put him on his feet again, but he stood next to Kai and Kyungsoo, quivering and unable to move. He watched as Chanyeol bent to listen to what the sick man was whispering in his ear.

«Don’t be scared» the wolf called Jongdae told him gently. «This needs to be done. Joonmyeon has to bite you in order to claim you as part of his pack. This way, the other wolves won’t be able to harm you.»

Luhan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the man on the bed. So, he was the infamous pack leader Joonmyeon? But he was so different from what he heard. He pictured in his mind a tall, strong, fierce wolf, not that small thing who lacked even the force to speak. «What’s wrong with him?»

«The Chinese wolves» Jongdae murmured. «It’s them, who made him like this.»

The wolf pulled Luhan slightly towards the bed, but the boy tried to resist. «What am I doing here? Why does he need to bite me? It doesn’t make sense.»

Jongdae’s eyes turned cold. «You’ll be told the details later.»

Luhan was sick of waiting. His inner wolf showed through, making him snarl back at Jongdae, who backed away, startled by that sudden appearance, but then Kai grabbed him, pulling forcefully towards Joonmyeon. «We don’t have time for this, pup. Come on.»

«No!» Luhan screamed, kicking the wolf to set himself free. Kai’s hold was steel-like, though, and Luhan found himself howling while the wolf dragged him on the floor, pulling him towards the laying pack leader. «No! No, no, please! I beg you!»

Kai threw him on the bed, and Luhan found himself enveloped in an unexpectedly strong hold. «N-no» he whispered, sensing Joonmyeon’s face hover above his. «No.»

«Calm down, little one» the pack leader murmured. «I’ll take care of you, from now on.»

Luhan whimpered, when he felt the man’s soft lips searching for the tender flesh of his neck, and then he cried out sharply when his fangs sank in, drawing blood, and Joonmyeon’s power poured inside of him.

His body went overdrive, while his senses suddenly got sharper. He could see in the darkness, now, the dusty curtains around the bed, the once luxurious, now just old and ruined furniture of the room, the tense faces of the wolves standing by the door, witnessing that weird ceremony. His head was spinning, and he found himself whimpering, letting out small mewls of pain mixed with pleasure. Many images took form into his mind. Blood, gore, wolves baring their long fangs, ready to attack. Cries. Tears. It was all confused, mingled together, and Luhan could hear the high-pitched wail of a puppy, over all that noise. It broke his heart, for some reason. Maybe it was just his omega’s instinct, to protect that young one, but he needed to make it stop, to ease the crying puppy’s pain. He tried talking, telling the others to do something to help, but his throat was dry. Then, just as suddenly as it began, Joonmyeon let him go.

Luhan was panting, his gaze still slightly blurred, while he touched the fresh bite on the side of his neck. It stung, but it didn’t hurt as horribly as he would expect. Kyungsoo helped him back on his feet, while Jongdae rushed to Joonmyeon’s side, holding him as the pack leader coughed weakly. «You’ve been so good» the wolf said, caressing the leader’s face, «you’ve did well.»

The laying wolf tried talking, but Luhan could hear just a slurred murmur. Jongdae leaned over, hugging him tightly, almost cradling his exhausted body in his arms. «I love you so much» he whispered.

Luhan averted his gaze, sensing that he just saw something he shouldn’t have, and his eyes met Kai’s which were full of unshed tears. Maybe the blond wolf wasn’t as bad as he thought, he thought. But still, he needed explanations. What was all that drama about? And why Jongdae and Joonmyeon seemed so intimate with each other?

Kyungsoo pulled him by his arm. «Come. I need to tend to your wound.»

Luhan followed the small wolf into another bedroom, watching as he lit another candle on a small table before taking some disinfectant and bandages. «What’s going to happen to me now?» Luhan anxiously asked, while the other omega started cleaning the bite with a soaked rag.

«Now you’re officially part of the pack, and since the leader himself put his mark on you, the others can’t claim you as their mate. They’ll be way calmer, next time you’ll meet them. Also, I sincerely hope they’ll apologize for the despicable way they acted around you.»

Luhan was still confused. «I don’t understand. Why would you need me, of all people? And why did you take me away with force?»

Kyungsoo’s dark eyes met his for a second, then the wolf resumed his task of tending to his wound. «You’re right. You’re the victim here, and I bet those two thugs didn’t bother telling you a thing.»

He turned, rustling into a cupboard, retrieving an elegant goblet made of crystal. He blew into it to get rid of the dust, then he poured some water into it. Luhan was puzzled. The more he looked at that place, the more it looked like some abandoned villa. Why was the powerful pack living in the dirt? He had no idea.

«What do you know about the War of Blood?» Kyungsoo asked, handing to him the goblet.

Luhan was thirsty, and he drank greedily the water before answering. «The Chinese wolves attacked the Korean ones for supremacy, I think. Then, the Korean ones fought them away, but they lost many pack members.»

Kyungsoo looked at him sharply, and Luhan put the glass down, feeling a little ashamed. «I was fourteen, when the war stroke» he murmured. «I can’t remember well.»

The omega shook his head. «I think this is what most humans think of it, actually. But it’s a little different.» He paused, scratching his chin absently. «The Chinese wolves, or Yitiao Langs, how we call them, attacked us, the Korean ones or Neugdaes, because we stole something really precious to them.»

Luhan blinked. «Something precious? So are you telling me it was your people, who actually started the war?»

Kyungsoo nodded slowly. «Yes. One of our pack members took the life of the Yitiao Langs’s leader, eliciting their fury. This is why they went all out on us.»

Luhan was still puzzled. «He killed him _on purpose_?»

Kyungsoo shrugged. «Does it really matter? The thing is, they attacked us in the middle of the night. They took all our omegas and slaughtered them. I survived just because Kai went berserk and protected me with all his strength. Jongdae survived too, but he was less lucky. Since he was the leader’s mate, and was pregnant with his heir at that time, they...» he suddenly stopped. «I don’t know if I should tell you this.»

«Please» Luhan softly urged, «I don’t know anything.»

Kyungsoo sighed. «They ripped his stomach apart, aiming at his puppy. When we found him, the foetus was already dead. He survived, but... it was difficult, for him.»

Luhan remembered the face of the pretty wolf who took care of the leader, before. He was so tiny, and his frame was so fragile. How could people be so cruel? Yeah, they might be upset for their leader’s death, but the pup was innocent. The reason was very easy, actually.

They weren’t people, he reminded to himself, shivering, they were wolves.

«We managed to stop them» Kyungsoo went on, «but at a very high price. We lost man wolves, and we ended up with just the younger and inexperienced ones. You saw how they reacted when they saw you, earlier. Chanyeol is the only alpha who survived the War of Blood, but he lost his mate as well.»

«Really?» Luhan asked, in a tiny voice.  He kind of liked Chanyeol. He’d been nice to him.

Kyungsoo nodded. «Baekhyun went MIA during the war with the Yitiao Langs. We never found his body, to Chanyeol’s despair.»

«I’m sorry to hear that.» And he truly was, for some crazy reason.

«Immediately after the war, the Yitiao Langs endured an internal rebellion. Many members disagreed with their decision to go on without a leader, and they left the pack, actually entering ours.»

Luhan blinked. «So, now you have Chinese wolves in your pack as well as Koreans? And you actually accepted them after what their people did to you?»

«Don’t think we had many choices, kid. We were devastated, and we needed every help available, even if it was the enemy’s seed. Also, Joonmyeon fell sick.»

«How? What happened to him?»

«Yixing, one of the Yitiao Langs who came into our pack, said he was cursed.»

«Cursed?»

«Yeah. He thinks the Chinese wolves took a witch into their pack.»

«Do they really exist? Witches?»

Kyungsoo looked tired. «Apparently they do. Anyway, there’s no medical explanation for the way Joonmyeon’s body started to rot from the inside. He’s so sick he can barely move or talk, now.»

«Is there a counter curse?»

«Yixing said he needs to mate. If he mates and manages to awaken his inner wolf, then his body might find the strength to fight the curse. But we don’t have any omegas available. Jongdae is sterile after what the Yitiao  Langs did to him, while I can’t conceive.»

«You can’t?» Luhan asked, touched.

«No» Kyungsoo replied, dryly. «Something must be wrong with my body, because Kai’s good and healthy. Believe me, if I could, I’d have saved Joonmyeon without thinking twice, even if Kai might have disagreed with it. I can’t have his pups. What’s the purpose of my life, actually?»

Those words barely hid an immense pain, and Luhan found himself patting his hand over the omega’s one. Kyungsoo backed away as if he had been hit.

«We madly searched for an omega in Korea, but they are rare, and the Yitiao Langs already took down all they managed to found. We were lucky we found you. You might be our saviour, actually... if you reach your sexual maturity in time to help Joonmyeon.»

Luhan shivered. «I’m eighteen already» he murmured, «and I’ve never been in heat.»

Kyungsoo looked at him. «We’ll have to keep you here until your first heat strikes, then.»

«You can’t talk seriously.» Luhan was terrified. «Me, in this place? Will all these... wolves?»

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. «You’re a wolf too, kid.»

«I’ve always lived as an human» Luhan justified himself. «I was adopted. My family...»

«This is your family now» Kyungsoo coldly stated. «This is your family and this is your place to stay. You won’t be returned to your old life, because we need you here.»

«But...»

«You can sleep here. And don’t even think about running away, because there’ll always be a wolf guarding the door.»

Kyungsoo gathered the medical kit, preparing to go. «Wait!» Luhan cried. «Where are you going? I don’t want to be alone!»

«Someone will bring you to eat, later» Kyungsoo said. «You’d better sleep.»

And he went past the door.  «Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or do something stupid» he ordered to the wolf standing in the corridor.

«Yes» the wolf said, bowing respectfully.

«No! No, please, I’m scared! Please, Kyungsoo...»

The omega closed the door behind his back, locking it from the outside.

Luhan pressed his fist on his mouth. Trapped. He was trapped.

The adrenaline left his body, making him stagger around until the back of his knees found a bed, and he let himself fall over it. It was rather soft, but it smelled like dust, and he found it disgusting. Still, he closed his eyes, exhausted.

«Please» he begged, «please, let it be just a bad dream.»

He fell into a fistful sleep. He shivered when he heard the key turning into the lock, much later, but he chose to stay still, because he couldn’t recognize the scent of the wolf who entered the room. He heard the noise of some pottery being put over the table, and he smelled food. He was starving, but he was too scared of that unknown wolf to open his eyes and move.

He felt the wolf approaching. What if it was Jongdae, angry because his lover had to cheat on him in order to save his life? What if it was one of those scary betas he saw beforehand?

He braced himself, sure he would die.

A soft hand caressed his hair, smoothing it away from his face. «I brought you something to eat» the wolf murmured, in a gentle voice he couldn’t recognize. «You need to be strong, to face all these demons.»

Luhan squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. The wolf’s fingers lingered for a bit over his forehead, and a very weird feeling crept through his skin, as if those fingertips conveyed some sort of electricity. His skin tingled where it had been touched.

«Sleep, little one. I’ll protect you.»

The wolf left, and when the key turned into the lock again, Luhan started crying silently.

 

 

 


	2. Two

Luhan woke up to a noise he couldn’t recognize. He blinked in the darkness, noticing that the candle Kyungsoo left for him was half-consumed. What time was it? He had no idea, but his stomach was growling, and he was starving.

His sensitive nostrils immediately located the pot on the table, and he bolted on his feet, running towards the food. He shoved the lid away and, without thinking twice, he grabbed the spoon that someone left for him and started eating. It was just a meat stew, icy cold, but he found it so delicious he couldn’t stop gulping it down. When he cleared it, he went laying another bit, because he felt dead tired.

When he woke up again, he stayed still for a second, trying to think straight. He could hear the faint sound of people talking just outside of his door. He tried smelling their scent, but he couldn’t recognize them, so he was pretty sure they weren’t Kai, Chanyeol or Kyungsoo. So, Jongdae? The mere thought of meeting the pack leader’s mate was upsetting, to him. He didn’t know why exactly, since the wolf did nothing to him, but Kyungsoo’s tale about how the Chinese wolves killed his baby made a very graphic and disturbing image appear in his mind.

He approached the door, knocking on it cautiously. «Excuse me» he called. «Is someone there?»

He heard a chuckle, and then the key turned, while the door slitted open. «Yeah? Do you need something?»

Luhan tried to recognize the wolf appearing in the doorframe. All he could see was a dark eye, a lock of caramel-coloured hair and some pale skin. «Err... how long am I supposed to stay locked in here?»

The wolf chuckled again. «The door is unlocked now.»

Luhan blinked, confused, and the wolf bit on his lip to stifle his laughter. «You can get out of here when you want. We got you locked in to make sure you could sleep comfortably. An alpha bit you, after all. Some wolves might suffer of side-effects and feel dizzy afterwards.»

Luhan finally understood why his knees felt so wobbly and his stomach was still contracting. He felt full of energy, though, and his senses were still sharper than usual. «I think I am okay» he said. «Can I get out, now?»

«Wait a moment.» The wolf briefly exchanged a couple words with another, then he talked to him again. «Yeah. Come.»

Luhan stepped on the threshold, and for a moment he couldn’t see anything because of the light. It was day, and the sun was shining through an enormous window which illuminated the corridor. His first impression about the place wasn’t wrong. The corridor brought to a staircase decorated with sculptures and rugs, and mirrors in elaborate frames were hanging from the walls. Still, a thick layer of dust covered everything, as if the mansion had been abandoned for years.

«Where are we, exactly? What is this place?»

The wolf looked at him. He was a little shorter than Luhan, and his face was smooth and young. His eyes looked peculiar, with their upturned corners and the absence of double eyelids. He looked handsome, Luhan absent-mindedly thought, and now he recognized him. He was the wolf who came to bring him food the night before, and who stopped to comfort him before leaving.

The wolf was still looking at him. «Did you eat?»

«Uh, yes, thank you.»

The other nodded a bit sheepishly. «I’ve been told to let you out of the room, but to stick to you to prevent you from escaping. I’m sorry.»

Luhan attempted a brave shrug. «I was kind of expecting it» he murmured. «It’s alright.»

For some reason, he didn’t feel much comfortable looking at the wolf in the eye. He fixated his gaze on the floor, clearing his throat.

«You might want to go downstairs» the wolf suggested. «Yixing said you need to eat a lot, in order to balance your energy levels after the pack leader’s bite.»

Actually, Luhan was still hungry, and even if he had no idea about who Yixing could be, he had to acknowledge he was right. «Okay» he agreed. He followed the wolf downstairs, looking around curiously. The staircase was truly magnificent, and it reminded it of those he saw in regency movies. «Amazing» he murmured, making the wolf smirk. «Why are the shutters all closed, though? This place would look much better, loaded with sunlight.»

«We’re hiding. We can’t make our presence obvious.»

«Hiding?» Luhan dumbly repeated.

«From the Yitiao Langs» the wolf patiently explained. «They’re always searching for us. They know that Joonmyeon is sick and that we couldn’t stand and attack, in a moment like this.»

«Oh.» Luhan should have guessed. «Sorry. It was a dumb question, wasn’t it.»

This was the wolf’s turn to shrug. «I’ve heard worse.»

Luhan was about to ask his name, when he heard a terrible noise and the unmistakable sound of jaws snapping. «Fuck» the wolf cursed, hurrying towards a big door. «Those two idiots.»

«Are we under attack?» Luhan asked, scared.

The wolf stopped, staring at him with an amused expression. «Even worse» he replied, solemnly. «We have hungry wolves fighting over food.»

Luhan had no time to wonder about those words, that his chaperon smashed the door open, letting them into a humongous dining room with paintings hanging from the walls, carpets and a once elegant boiserie. Two wolves were glaring at each other across the table, baring their fangs and snarling ferociously.

«Just say it again» the one of them with dark hair said, «I’ll shift in my true form and I’ll kick the crap out of your wimpy ass until you’ll be begging me to stop.»

«As if» the blonde one retorted, holding something close to his chest as if he had every intention to protect it with his life, «I’d break your spine before you laid a finger on me.»

The dark-haired wolf was about to jump over the table (which someone carefully prepared with plates, cups, cutlery and napkins) to attack the other one, but the wolf who was accompanying Luhan called him. «Sehun! Stop it immediately!»

The wolf squinted his eyes at him. «Oh look who’s there» he said, and Luhan recognized that mocking voice. He was the one who Chanyeol reproached the night before, when he arrived at the villa. «The dog. Were you the one in charge of grocery shopping this week? Because there’s only a few spoonfuls of jam left.»

«No, it was you.»

«Bye moron!» the blonde wolf shouted, running away making a crazy dash towards the door. «Say bye to your  jam!»

«Fuck!» Sehun ran away, following the other down the corridor. When he grabbed him, trying to snatch the jar from his hold, Luhan could hear their shrieks as they wrestled around like little kids.

«What happened exactly?» he asked.

The wolf rolled his eyes. «Idiots being idiots, that’s it. Sehun and Tao are always bickering about something.»

«They were threatening to kill each other because of some jam?»

The wolf patted Luhan’s back. «Just sit down. They’re not bad, when you get used to them.»

Luhan did as he was told, noticing with a certain relief that his chaperon took a seat next to him. He didn’t know why, but he found his presence calming. A door opened, and  Kyungsoo made his appearance, wearing an apron and wheeling a serving cart inside of the dining room. «I don’t know what you like for breakfast, Luhan» he stated, without bothering saying hello, just as grumpy as the night before, «so I made coffee, tea, hot cocoa and I also warmed some milk. I made muffins, last night, but I’m afraid we have no jam to accompany them, since Sehun’s brains are the size of a peanut. There’s butter, though.»

«Thank you» Luhan weakly murmured, finding some difficulty at controlling his instincts. The smell of the food made his mouth water instantly, and he was afraid that if he didn’t keep his lips tightly sealed, he would have started slobbering everywhere. «It will be alright, really.»

Kyungsoo’s expression, which was always a little strict, softened sensibly. «Did you sleep well? You had a stressful day.»

Luhan nodded, grabbing a muffin from the tray the omega presented to him. It was delicious, and he cleared it in a couple bites.

The other wolf handed another one to him. «You can take mine, if you want it.»

Kyungsoo’s gaze turned cold again. «And who said I made one for you too?»

The wolf shot him a charming smile. «Because you’re kind and generous.»

«Sorry, I’ve stuff in the oven to look at.» And the omega stormed away, disappearing inside of what Luhan believed was a kitchen of some sort. He could hear some yapping noises, outside, and he stood to approach a window. The shutters were just half-closed, at he could see a black-furred wolf and a light-coloured one playing in the yard, rolling around like puppies in the dirt. He actually smiled, when he saw the empty jar laying on the ground.

Still sitting at the table comfortably, the wolf winked at him. «What did I say? Idiots.»

«Is Tao a former member of the Yitiao Langs? One of those who came into the pack?»

«Yes, as well as Yixing and Yi Fan. They’re all betas, while Yi Fan is an alpha.»

Luhan stared at him. He was small, but he gave off an impression of strength. «And you? Are you a beta?»

The wolf shot him a gummy smile. «I’m not telling. You guess.»

«Let’s see...» Luhan began, thrilled, but then some other people walked inside of the dining room. Chanyeol took a seat across the table, and Kai went straight into the kitchen, probably to help his mate. He beckoned at Luhan before disappearing.

«I can’t stand this ruckus first in the morning» the alpha growled, pouring a big cup of coffee for himself. «I’ll fucking slap some sense into Sehun, later. And where the fuck is Yi Fan? Tao needs to be disciplined too. I’m sick of his attitude.»

«Nah, let them be. At least they provide some fun for us.»

Chanyeol stared at the wolf. «I didn’t ask you for a suggestion, Minseok.»

«Minseok? Is it your name?» Luhan barged in, making the wolf smile again. «I was about to ask you, but people kept interrupting.»

Chanyeol blinked at them, and Minseok burst out laughing. «You sure accepted your fate fast» the alpha stated. «You don’t even remotely look the weepy kid I brought here yesterday.»

Luhan kept silent, taking another bite of muffin. A wolf he didn’t know walked in, bidding everyone a spaced out good morning and sitting at the table. «Let’s be polite» Minseok said, «Luhan, this is Yixing. Yixing, this is Luhan.»

«Hello Luhan» the wolf greeted rubbing his eyes, before pouring some tea into his cup and looking around. «Where’s the jam?»

«Ask brownie and blondie outside.»

«Fuck. Sehun always forgets about going shopping for the pack.»

«Yixing is our healer» Minseok explained. «He can heal wounds and diseases with his own energy.»

«Good» Chanyeol grumbled, «because Sehun is going to be sporting a huge bump on his head, after I’m done with him.» And he actually stood, walking out of the room.

The healer sighed, leaning his elbows on the table to stare at Luhan. «You look fine» he said. «No consequences after the leader’s mark? Head spinning? Feeling fainting? Nausea?»

Luhan gulped down the last mouthful of food, then he put some sugar into his milk, mixing in some coffee as well. «I slept like the dead, but I feel okay.»

Yixing nodded. «Good, you’re a tough one. Not all omegas can tolerate a pack leader’s bite.»

«Jongdae had some trouble too, at first» Minseok said. «He was sick for days, afterwards.»

«Are you talking about me?»

Luhan turned, seeing the elegant wolf appear in the doorframe. He was wearing denim, and he looked absolutely stunning. «Good morning, everyone.»

«How’s Joonmyeon feeling today?» Minseok asked.

«Better than yesterday» Jongdae replied, gracefully sitting a little apart from Luhan. «But he’s still weak. News from Yi Fan?»

Minseok shook his head. «Last time we heard from him was a week ago. His phone is mute, but he might have gotten rid of it because the Yitiao Langs were tracking him. He already did that, in the past.»

Jongdae nodded, but he looked sceptical. He glanced at the muffins, but then he opted for some plain tea. Luhan couldn’t stop staring at him. He was so beautiful, while he gulped down the drink, that some of his angles reminded him of a female. No wonder he was the boss’ mate.

The omega smiled lightly at him. «It must be hard for you, Luhan» he said. «I mean, we were so rude to you, yesterday. Does your neck hurt?»

Luhan furiously blushed, looking elsewhere. «Not really» he mumbled. «Thanks.»

So,  Jongdae wasn’t just as beautiful as a prince, but was also kind as well. Suddenly, Luhan felt very weird, as if he was watching the whole scene from a separate point of view. Werewolves having breakfast with muffins and coffee, conversing with each other like nice old ladies.

He blinked, confused, trying to listen to what the wolves were saying.

«I’m so sorry for the hasty way Chanyeol and Kai had to bring you till here» the omega went on. «I mean, Joonmyeon and me would have never allowed something like that, if the circumstances weren’t this serious. I’ve already called your family, and I’ve transferred a compensation sum in their bank account. I know that having their son hidden in a secret place in the woods can’t be compared to money, but it’s all I can do, for the moment.»

Luhan finally looked at him in the eyes. «Did... did you talk to my mom? What did she say?»

«She was worried» Jongdae gently replied, «and very scared, but I think she was prepared for something like this to happen. She knows your true nature, and she said that probably you belong with us more than with your adoptive family.»

Something heavy crushed Luhan’s chest. «So, she basically agreed with you keeping me captive.»

Jongdae seemed to lose some of his composure, at those words. «You’re not a captive» he said. «You are more like...»

Luhan’s eyes started to water. He didn’t want to hear those excuses. The Neugdaes needed him in order to fight the evil spell the enemies casted over their leader. They kidnapped him and locked him in a room, to keep him for their personal use.

It was just plain unfair, no matter how he looked at it.

«Please, don’t cry» Jongdae said, in a soft voice. «You’re a member of the pack, now. You will be protected and cared for.»

He leaned over to comfort Luhan, but he was interrupted by Chanyeol, who walked in pushing inside a very grumpy-looking Sehun. «Apologize.»

The beta rolled his eyes. «Shall I really?»

Chanyeol very unceremoniously kicked his butt. «Apologize, I said.»

Staggering forward, Sehun bowed. «Sorry for the jam, guys» he mumbled, with such an annoyed bitch face that Luhan actually giggled in spite of the tears.

Jongdae patted his back gently. «I mean it, Luhan. We’re a family, here, and I swear, I love each of my fellow members, no matter how quirky or weird he might be. You can come to me, if you have any problems, or if you just need to talk. I’ll listen to you.»

«Okay» Luhan sniffed, accepting the tissue the omega was handing to him. «Thank you.»

Kyungsoo emerged from the kitchen, face flushed and hair more than just a little dishevelled, followed by Kai, who was holding another pitcher of tea. «I made another tray of muffins, just in case.»

The statement elicited a general cheer of appreciation, and Tao peeked from the doorframe. Luhan could bet he was staying behind because he was scared of Chanyeol. He really couldn’t understand what exactly he found scary about the two betas, when he arrived at the villa. They looked cute, now that they were crowding around the table with the others, fighting over the muffins.

He wanted to believe to Jongdae’s words. He needed to believe them... or he would get crazy.

Minseok smiled at him lightly. «I don’t think it’s really necessary, but well. Luhan, this is Sehun. And the one currently stuffing his mouth with Kyungsoo’s delicacies is Tao.»

«Mind your own business, dog» Sehun angrily spat. «I can introduce myself.»

Chanyeol smacked the back of his head. «Behave yourself.»

Sehun growled softly, while munching broodingly on his food. Tao said nothing, but he was glaring at Minseok as well.

Luhan could feel the pack’s eyes on him, and he felt the need of saying something. «Why is everybody calling you dog, Minseok? Is that some sort of nickname?»

The dining room fell suddenly silent, and Luhan looked around, worried he said something wrong. Luckily, Minseok relieved the sudden tension, glancing mischievously at him. «Did they really call me that? I didn’t notice.»

Jongdae snorted, looking at the contents of his cup, and then the wolves began to talk all in the same moment, as if they were determined to change topic immediately. Luhan still felt a little confused, but Minseok was still sporting that nonchalant and vaguely sassy expression, so he quickly forgot about his gaffe. The blond Chinese wolf, Tao, dragged his chair next to him, avoiding to look at Minseok.

«Are you still in high school?»

«Yeah, but I don’t really like it» Luhan earnestly replied. «I’m not good with school.» Tao’s looks were fierce and a little thug-like, but his voice was soft and his eyes seemed honest. He was pretty young too, probably just a couple years older than him.

«Me neither» the beta grinned. «I hated school. My classmates were always picking on me because I was a wolf.»

«It happened to me too» Luhan admitted. He remembered crying himself to sleep many nights, comfortably nestled in his mother’s arms because of the bullies teasing him in school. At least, now he  wouldn’t have to face that anymore, right?

Jongdae’s hand came to rest on his elbow again. «Luhan, Joonmyeon wants to see you. Would you like coming with me?»

Luhan’s hand instinctively rose to touch the bandage on his neck. «He just wants to talk to you» the omega reassured him. «He’s truly sorry for the poor treatment we reserved to you yesterday, he’s thankful for your help and he wants to know you better.»

Luhan tried his best to smile. He stood to follow Jongdae out of the dining room, and when Minseok stayed put without following him he felt bad. He liked Jongdae, really... but something, about him, made him way too uncomfortable. Maybe it was just because he was too pretty.

Also, he didn’t think he was ready to face the pack leader’s yet.

«Are you sure it’s a good idea? I mean, yesterday he was very sick. Maybe I should go to see him later.»

«He said now» Jongdae simply replied, his smile turning a little cold, and Luhan didn’t insist. He still couldn’t understand how far he could push Jongdae. He looked kind, but for some reason he couldn’t trust him. He’d rather being with Minseok, but it wasn’t like he could choose.

Jongdae led him upstairs, knocking on the pack leader’s door. «We’re coming in.»

Luhan was introduced in the room, which was completely dark. Jongdae walked inside, lighting a candle, and Luhan was finally able to see the man laying on the bed. He was rather small, young-faced and terribly pale, but his back was propped up against a pile of pillows, and his eyes were dark and sharp. «Finally you’re here» he said, his voice coming out clear. «You must have been scared. I hope Chanyeol and Kai weren’t too rough on you.»

«N-no» Luhan replied, unable to stand Joonmyeon’s gaze. «I’m fine, I think.»

The pack leader stared at him. He was breathing quickly, and from the way his whole body stiffened from time to time, Luhan thought that he was straining not to show him he was in severe pain. He must be a tough man. Yitiao Langs’ really must have had no choice but witchery, to take him down.

«I bet you’ve questions to ask» the alpha said. «Go ahead. I’ll tell you all you want to know.»

Luhan sat on a chair by the bed that Jongdae pointed to him. The omega kept by the door, mixing some powdered medicine on a glass, not interfering in their conversation. His presence, though, made Luhan feel self-conscious.

«I’ve heard you lost your puppy» he murmured. «I’m sorry.»

Jongdae’s lithe hands stopped in mid air, and he started to tremble visibly, but he said nothing. «Thank you» Joonmyeon quietly replied. «It was a truly hard loss, for us to stand.»

«For the pack?» Luhan asked, trying to be sympathetic. «Because you lost your heir?»

The wolf blinked slowly. «Yes. But above all because Jongdae and me loved that poor little thing. We really would have wanted him to born.»

Luhan heard a faint sound, and when he turned, he gasped in horror, noticing that Jongdae was crying silently, clasping the cup so forcefully that his knuckles were turning white.

«I’m so sorry» he murmured, feeling his heart sink. «I always manage to say the wrong thing, don’t I?»

Joonmyeon shook his head. «You are the one who’s been brought here by force and without a single explanation» he said. «We should be the ones apologizing. And yes, this is still an open wound for me and my mate, since we can’t have pups anymore. The Yitiao Langs apparently know it too, because they even bothered taking a witch in the pack to make me like this. Yixing isn’t a wizard, but he knows enough to be sure that only mating an omega in heat could help me restore my health.»

«I’ll be outside, if you need me» Jongdae suddenly cut in, putting the cup full of medication on the nightstand and leaving the room. Luhan looked at him, feeling guilty.

«Please forgive his rudeness» Joonmyeon murmured, closing his eyes. «This is hard, for him.»

 _And for him too,_ Luhan thought, looking at the pained expression on the pack leader’s face. _He loves him, and he hates to see him suffering, even if now he’s the one who’s enduring most of the pain_.

But then, another thought hit him. Joonmyeon’s words implied something else, and when he realized it, he felt dying inside.

«If it was just for me, I would have never asked you such a sacrifice» Joonmyeon went on. «But it’s for the pack. And to fight the Yitiao Langs.»

«Please correct me if I’m wrong» Luhan barged in, stiff, «but are you suggesting you need to mate with me, in order to restore your health?»

Mating. Luhan’s mind populated with scary images, and he had to fight the strong need to stand and run away.

«The witch’s magic disconnected me from my inner wolf. It is supposed to turn me into a simple human being without powers and strength. Mating is a primordial instinct of werewolves. We’re not even sure it’s the right thing to do, but we’re truly desperate, Luhan. We need to restore the pack’s power, as quickly as we can.»

«So, you’re going to cheat on your mate, just in order to heal yourself?»

«There’s no “only”, when you’re a leader and you’re responsible of many people’s wellbeing. I love Jongdae and he loves me. He understands, even if it hurts.»

Luhan closed his eyes. Jongdae had every right to be mad at him and to treat him poorly, but he had been nothing but warm and kind to him, since he appeared at the villa.

«You’re asking me to do something very difficult» he admitted.

«I know, Luhan. I’m well aware of that, but please, believe me when I saw that I’ll be forever thankful to you.»

Luhan’s mind was spinning in crazy circles. «What if... if I get...» he couldn’t say it. It was too scary.

«I’ll take care of your puppy as a new member of the pack, of course» Joonmyeon murmured. «He, or she, will be loved and won’t lack everything.»

 _And what about me?_ , Luhan would have wanted to ask, but he kept the question to himself. «I’m still sexually immature, though» he added. «I’ve never had my first heat, and I’m already eighteen. What if I’m sterile? Did you consider this?» He never even shifted in his werewolf form, because he heard stories of wolves who weren’t able to shift back and spent their life struck in their furry form. The mere perspective was so scary he couldn’t even think about it properly.

«I never felt I was a werewolf» he added. «I’ve always lived as a human boy, and I liked it.»

Sort of.

Joonmyeon looked at him. «We searched for an available omega wolf through the whole territory that’s under our influence, Luhan, and you were the only one who we were able to find. It’s not like we had any other choice.»

Luhan nodded. And there he was, trapped.

«I guess I have no choice but to trust you too» he murmured.

Joonmyeon coughed, and for a moment he looked so exhausted Luhan felt bad for him and lost all his animosity. «I think I need to let you rest, now.» He stood, heading towards the door.

«Come to talk to me, sometimes» Joonmyeon whispered, from the bed. «I might help you clearing your mind, if you have any doubts.»

Luhan almost smiled. This sounded so much like something a benevolent teacher could have told him at school. «Thanks» he murmured. «I’ll remember that.»

When he closed the door behind his back, he found Jongdae sitting on his heels in the corridor. They exchanged a long stare, before the omega rose on his feet and approached him. «Thank you for your help, Luhan» he murmured. «I knew you were a generous kid since the first time I saw you.»

The man’s hands were shaking, and Luhan instinctively reached out for his right one, squeezing it briefly before meeting his eyes in understanding.

Jongdae beckoned at him lightly, before opening the door and disappearing past it.

Luhan descended the staircase, his feet moving on their own. When he absently reached the dining room, he saw that the whole pack was gathered there, staring at him.

The wolf called Sehun actually stood to approach him. «Come, Luhan» he said, grabbing him by his hand and dragging him towards the table. «You shouldn’t stay by yourself, you will only get depressed. Let’s spend some time together, okay?»

Luhan blinked. «Really?»

«Yeah, really. How are you feeling? Are you alright? Does your neck hurts?»

«Oh for fuck’s sake, Sehun» Tao rolled his eyes, «let him breathe.»

«N-no, I’m fine» Luhan replied, confused when a huge smile appeared on Sehun’s face.

«Good! Let’s go to play, then. Tao, you come too!» And he started dragging him towards the door.

«Sehun, sit» Chanyeol grumbled, from the table. «You’re startling the kid.»

«Aw, but it could be fun...»

«I. Said. Sit.»

Sehun complied, looking grumpy as usual. «You need to excuse him» Kyungsoo barged in, «he’s still a puppy.»

«I am not!» Sehun protested. «I’ll turn seventeen soon!»

«You’re younger than me?» Luhan wondered. «I could have never guessed.»

Sehun’s cheeks blushed, while Minseok chuckled from his seat. Luhan ran to sit next to him before talking again. «You look like a beta... are you a beta? I’m not good at detecting ranks.»

«I am a beta» Sehun confirmed, pursing his lips, «and Chanyeol says I need to apologize for the way I reacted when I first smelled you yesterday. Sorry.»

«Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve been told I’ve a strong scent a lot.»

Minseok laughed again, and Luhan felt a little more confident. «Uh, let’s see. Tao must be a beta too?»

The Chinese wolf smiled broadly.  «Yeah.»

«And I already know that Kyungsoo is an omega, Kai is a beta and Chanyeol is an alpha.»

«What about me?» Yixing asked, curious. «Let’s see if you get it right.»

«I like this game!» Sehun said excitedly.

«Uh... alpha? No, wait. Beta.»

«That’s it» Yixing beamed. «You are smart.»

«Actually, I’ve been told previously» Luhan murmured, sheepish. «I was just recalling stuff. I really can’t guess just by looking or smelling. I never really trained my inner wolf, you see.»

Yixing nodded, understanding. «You’ll learn» he said.

Luhan looked at Minseok, who was idly playing with his fingers. «I really can’t guess about Minseok, though» he stated. «He looks like a beta, to me, but he gives off a weird impression.»

«Oh, he’s not important» Sehun said. «I mean it. Wanna come out and play? You might try shifting, if you never did it before.»

Luhan found the perspective a little unsettling. «What... now? I don’t know» he protested, but the wolf insisted.

«Come on, it’s fun.»

Luhan was still doubtful, but when something wet touched his hand, he smiled, seeing a light-furred wolf touching him with the tip of his nose. Tao already shifted, hopeful, and he was actually wriggling his tail to him like an overgrown dog. Luhan patted his head. «I might give it a try, then» he said, «but don’t expect too much from me, okay!»

Sehun’s joy was palpable, while he let him outside and started instructing him. «You need to visualize yourself in a wolf form, and to call out your inner wolf.»

«Call my wolf?»

«Yup. He’s like sleeping inside of you, and you need to awaken him. Once he’s awake, he will take over and then you’ll shift effortlessly.»

«Sounds a little difficult.»

«Oh, not really. Just try.»

Tao barked, gnawing at Sehun’s shirt with his teeth. He was eager to start the game.

Luhan tried concentrating like Sehun told him to, but after a while he opened his eyes and saw that nothing had changed. Sehun already shifted in his dark wolf form, and was running around with Tao, trying to get him.

«Oh well» Luhan scoffed, «I’ll try later.» And he just threw himself in the game, throwing sticks at the two wolves, who happened to love playing fetch.

From the slitted shutters, the other members of the pack were watching the three youngsters play. «He smells and looks like an omega» Yixing was saying, «but there’s something strange about him. It’s definitely not normal, being his age and never go in heat.»

«Maybe he lived for too long among the humans» Chanyeol suggested, «and he lost contact with his inner wolf.»

«Or maybe he’s underdeveloped. It happens, with those who are adopted, sometimes. He might be a beta who never really reached his maturity because he lacked the necessary stimuli.»

«If this is the case, we’d have made a huge mistake» Chanyeol said. «Still nothing from Yi Fan?»

The healer sighed. «Nothing.»

The wolves kept silent for a while, watching gloomily as Luhan played with the two wolves. «I am hopeful that staying among wolves will help him awaken his wolf» Yixing said, trying to sound reassuring. «Actually, I think it might happen at any time. He recovered so fast from the bite, this actually gives me hope his first heat could strike very soon.»

«If he isn’t just an underdeveloped beta» Kai grimly added.

«Yeah» Yixing sadly confirmed, «if he isn’t that.»

Minseok said nothing, since nobody would have really listened to him. His glowing eyes kept following Luhan’s lithe figure as he laughed and ran in the yard, looking young and innocent under the sunlight.


	3. Three

Joonmyeon kept his word. That night, when Luhan went to bed after spending the day with the rest of the pack, nobody locked the door of his room. He stayed there, blinking in the darkness for long, thinking about the very weird things he was experiencing.

Basically, the Neugdaes were rich and could easily access to a huge amount of money divided into many bank accounts for safety reasons, but they lived almost like homeless people, hiding in an abandoned place like criminals. They had no real comforts, there. Only Chanyeol had a cell phone, to communicate with Yi Fan, the pack member who Luhan still hadn’t met, who apparently went to spy on the Yitiao Langs to get some more information about the witch and her actual power. Nobody exactly knew who she or he was, and how actually dangerous her influence on the rival pack could be. The Neugdaes looked very worried, since Yi Fan hadn’t been communicating with them for long.

Also, they were in constant need of medications to ease Joonmyeon’s condition, and they constantly needed to go into town to get food and other supplies. They had no internet, no computers, no TV. They lived in the constant fear of an attack, and they were always ready to fight or flee.

Luhan was starting to like them, but he wasn’t sure he could accommodate well to a life like that.

Another thing which made him absolutely uncomfortable was that the pack sometimes acted normally, like a group of human boys would do, sometimes like real beasts. He remembered feeling very embarrassed when Tao, in his human form, actually went to hug him while they were eating, nuzzling his head into the crook of his neck making a soft whine, just like an affectionate dog. It wasn’t scary, but it felt so weird that Luhan almost pushed him away. Apparently, the pack members shared a room by couples or triplets, and  Sehun and Tao actually invited Luhan to sleep with them in the same bed, making him blush from head to toe. Kai and Kyungsoo obviously slept together, while Jongdae spent the nights with Joonmyeon. The others all pretty much slept by themselves, and Minseok had been appointed to guard Luhan’s room just like the night before.

Shifting on the mattress, Luhan actually wondered if he was standing in the corridor.

«Hey» he called softly, remembering that Joonmyeon’s room was only a few meters away. «Are you there?»

«Yeah» the wolf immediately replied. «Do you need something?»

«Can you come inside?» Luhan asked. «Just to talk» he added, for clarification.

A brief pause. «I don’t know if I should.»

«You’ll be guarding me even better, if you’re here with me.»

«I guess you’re right.» The door opened silently, letting the wolf in. Luhan couldn’t see his face in the dark.

«There’s a candle on the nightstand» he murmured, pulling on a sitting position. He waited, cross-leggedly, as Minseok fumbled with the matches until a soft light was cast on them.

«Here» Minseok murmured, placing the candle so that the shadows weren’t too long and menacing. «Better, now?»

«Better» Luhan agreed, «thanks.»

He stared at him for a moment, and for the first time ever, Minseok averted his gaze, scratching idly at his chin. Luhan took advantage of his distraction to study him. He was wearing military pants and a shirt, and he looked somewhat gloomy and tired. Every time Luhan saw him, he had been smiling or sporting that mischievous expression that suited him so well. He almost looked like a different person, now.

«Maybe you should have just gone to sleep with Sehun and Tao» the wolf said. «I mean, maybe you’re not used to it, but skinship is a pretty natural thing among members of the same pack, and those two are barely adults, so they are in constant search for closeness and care. I think you might appreciate it, after a while.»

Luhan, though, didn’t want to talk about that. «Are you okay?» he asked. «You look...»

Minseok tilted his head, surprised, as if he hadn’t been expecting those words. «I’ll sleep later, don’t worry.»

«You’re staying awake the whole night just to guard me?» Luhan wondered. «That’s crazy.»

Minseok lightly shook his head. «This is just the smallest of the many crazy things you’ll witness here.»

Luhan swallowed the question that was already on his tongue, pensive. That statement sounded somewhat sad.

«You stayed awake last night as well.»

Minseok shrugged. «I did what I was told to do.»

«Are you okay?»

The wolf’s eyes looked huge in the dim light, their expression unreadable. «Yes» Minseok whispered, «thank you.»

This was Luhan’s turn to avert his gaze, fixating it on the bed’s comforter. He had tried dusting it a little, previously, but it still smelled like an old rag. «Lay down a bit» he suggested. «You will feel better afterwards.»

He could feel warmth creeping from his chest to his face. He couldn’t understand what was happening exactly. Why the need of being shy? It wasn’t like he was asking the wolf to sleep together or whatnot. He would have sit somewhere else, away from him, while he rested a bit.

Minseok’s lip twitched upwards. «It’s nice of you, really, but I shouldn’t.»

«Because the others might get mad at you?»

«What makes you think so?»

For a second, Luhan wondered if he just saw things that weren’t there. «I might be wrong» he murmured, «but they’re always picking on you, and they’re treating you differently from the rest of the pack. As if you’re somehow lower in rank, but I don’t think this is the reason.»

Minseok stared at him, and Luhan had the impression that it wasn’t just the candlelight that made his eyes shine. «Is it really so obvious?»

«I’m sorry» Luhan quietly replied. He had no idea why he was apologizing.

The wolf cleared his throat. «It’s okay. I’m used to it.»

Luhan stood, looking around the room. He was sure he saw a chair in a corner, and he finally saw it, hidden among the shadows with a pile of old stuff over it. He moved the items away, patting the cushion to get rid of the dust. «I don’t feel sleepy» he said. «I’ll just sit here, while you can have the bed.»

Minseok snorted.  «And do you honestly think I’ll sleep while you run away?»

Luhan froze. The thought haven’t even crossed his mind. «I wasn’t thinking about doing it, I swear.»

A long silence fell between them. «Sorry» Minseok said after a while. «I know your intentions were good. I’m just... I feel very bitter, tonight.»

«Why?»

«There are plenty of reasons. The pack’s wellbeing. Joonmyeon’s condition. Yi Fan’s silence. And the fact that the Yitiao Langs by now surely already know we brought an omega into the pack.»

Luhan felt suddenly weak on his knees. «Do you think... they might attack?»

«At any moment, actually, and the others know too. They tried acting normally not to upset you, but they’re all on alert.»

«Shit» Luhan murmured. «I didn’t realize about anything.»

Minseok chuckled mirthlessly. «That was the plan, actually. That you didn’t realize.»

Luhan sighed. «I mean it. You take the bed, okay?»

«Stubborn, aren’t we?»

«Like a donkey.»

This time, Minseok laughed. «Thank you, then. Please, wake me up in a couple hours, or I will be yelled at, if I’m not in the corridor when Chanyeol comes to check.»

«Okay» Luhan said, relieved. He watched as Minseok removed his shoes and laid on the mattress, rolling on his side with his head cushioned over his bent arm.

«Goodnight» the wolf said, before closing his eyes.

«’night» Luhan replied, absently. He sat on the chair, watching as Minseok’s face relaxed and twitched lightly as he drifted right into sleep. Now he could see the dark circles under his eyes and the faint lines of exhaustion around his mouth and on his forehead. He clasped his hands in his lap, because he suddenly felt the overwhelming need to reach out and stroke the wolf’s hair away from his face.

He looked at the window, seeing the blue stripes of night sky show from the shutters’ gapes, and he noticed that a full moon was glowing, up in the sky.

A faint noise came from the bed, and Luhan noticed that Minseok’s brow was frowned, while he whined softly in his sleep. The omega rose on his feet, unsure of what to do. His right hand actually tingled, as if Minseok was somehow attracting it to himself because of some weird magnetic force.

He silently approached the bed, and he touched him with quivering fingers.

Weird, he thought, that was so weird. But Minseok’s hair was soft and smooth, and when his fingertips ghosted over his face, he could feel the warmth radiating from his skin.

He still knew nothing about him, though. Minseok was an absolute mystery, to him.

\---oOo---

Luhan woke up with a jump after a while. He fell asleep, even if he promised Minseok he wouldn’t have, so he stood, worried it could be late, but no light was showing through the shutters, so he eased his breathing, trying to calm down.

He was feeling hot, and he unzipped his hoodie, remaining clad in his old T-shirt. He was pretty sure he heard a noise somewhere, so he stayed perfectly still, listening.

When he started to think he made a mistake, he heard it again, a faint noise. He turned to the bed, determined to wake Minseok up, but the wolf was sleeping so soundly he decided not to do it. He approached the window, looking cautiously through the gaps of the shutters. The yard was dark and silent, but he could feel, more than see, someone walking hidden by the trees. He tried smelling, and he knew it wasn’t just a deer or a wild animal passing by.

The whole villa was silent, as if the pack was still asleep, and Luhan didn’t know what to do. Maybe waking up Minseok was the only available option.

But then he saw it. A small light, suddenly appearing in the darkness. A single black candle had been lit on the ground, right at the centre of a star diagram drawn in the dirt. A woman was standing on one of the corners of the star, her arms held up towards the sky, her head thrown back while her lips began to move.

«M-minseok» Luhan stuttered, terrified. The woman was wearing a black cloak and a hood, and he couldn’t see her face, but he could definitely feel her power rising in the night air.

Strong arms enveloped Luhan from behind, and he gasped, ready to defend himself.

«Stay away from the window» Minseok whispered in his ear. «Or she’ll be able to detect your presence.»

Luhan tried to nod, but he was shaking so much that he couldn’t control his body. He was sweating profusely, also, which he never did. «Why is it so hot in here?» he murmured. «I feel dizzy.»

Minseok held him tighter, and Luhan felt conscious of his scent, his strong muscles and his warm breath caressing his nape. It felt good, he thought, before his knees gave up completely, sending him on the floor.

«Fuck» Minseok cursed, «not now, damn it.»

«What’s happening to me?» Luhan whined, trying to stand. «I f-feel...» It was truly indescribable. He felt hot, hot and bothered like when it was two in the afternoon of a vacation day in July. He was sweating and panting, and he kept quivering as if he was running a fever. But he wasn’t sick, he was sure of that. It was something entirely different.

Minseok’s eyes were on him, while the wolf looked at him, transfixed. «You are in heat» he slowly stated. «But this is not possible, it’s not supposed to be this... this violent...»

Luhan let out a moan. His skin was tingling, and he was overwhelmed with the sudden need of being touched, even if it didn’t make the slightest sense. Nothing had much sense in his life, lately. But he wanted Minseok to reach out and hold him as tightly as he did before.

Minseok rushed to the window. «Fuck» he repeated. «Fuck, fuck, fuck.» And under Luhan’s eyes, he smashed the shutters open and jumped.

Luhan screamed.

«What the hell is happening?» Chanyeol’s voice roared in the corridor, while Tao and Sehun entered the room, only to stop on the threshold, their eyes turning instantly dark and big.

Even in his bothered state, Luhan recognized the naked desire pictured in their faces.

Thankfully, Chanyeol dragged them out of the room, before closing the door and locking it behind his back. He knelt to Luhan’s side, slapping him hard on his face to shake him awake from his confused state.

«Ow!»

«Pull yourself together, kid. We’re under attack. Apparently, the witch found you and triggered your heat. Yixing is coming to give you some medication to suppress it.»

«N-nnn...» Luhan’s tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. But even if dazed, his mind functioned perfectly. Why would they need to block his heat, if they wanted him to mate with their boss? And why on Earth did the Yitiao Langs trigger his heat, if they wanted Joonmyeon to die? There were still so many things he couldn’t understand. And where was Minseok? He saw him jump out of the window. Was he okay? Did he hurt himself? His absence weighed on him like a stone.

He squirmed and whined when Chanyeol pressed a rag soaked in cold water over his forehead and neck, but it actually helped him feeling a little better. When he sat, he suddenly felt conscious of his cock, twitching inside of his underwear, and of a new, unknown sensation between his legs. When he checked, he saw that a wet spot formed on his pants, and he gasped, scared.

«It’s okay» Chanyeol tried to reassure him, «it’s okay. Everything is under control, don’t worry. Breathe.»

But Luhan was frantic. Shit just became real, it wasn’t just some nice conversations in candlelight or meals in a run-down dining room. He was in heat, and his body was acting on its own.

Yixing ran inside, holding a small box of pills in his hand. «Gulp down this» he said, «it will make you feel better.»

He helped Luhan putting one on his tongue before swallowing it down.

«Did Minseok get her?» Chanyeol asked, still holding the omega.

«Yeah» Yixing replied. «Or better, _she_ let him capture her.»

«What?»

«You’ll understand when you see her» Yixing mysteriously said. «Jongdae already brought Joonmyeon downstairs to talk to her. He commanded that every member of the pack needs to be there.»

\---oOo---

Luhan was sitting on an old, ragged sofa, squeezed between Tao and Sehun, who looked very uncomfortable in his presence. Yixing’s medicine actually made him feel better, even if he was still sweating and feeling hot. The two betas apologized profusely for their reaction when they smelled his scent. «I never smelled an omega in heat before» Sehun said, sheepish, «I must have looked like some hungry beast to you.»

«It’s alright» Luhan said, «it’s not like you did it on purpose.»

«I’m sorry, though» Sehun insisted, actually scooting closer to lean his head over Luhan’s shoulder, «you’re my friend now.»

Luhan gently pushed him away. «It’s okay, really. No offense taken.»

Sehun beamed, his cheeks slightly flushed, and Luhan thought he looked a little high, as if his scent really did something weird to him. He couldn’t smell anything, how could it be so powerful? Tao looked bothered by it as well, while he sat as stiff as a stick, trying his best not to brush against him.

Yixing, Kai and Chanyeol were standing by the door, actually guarding the pack leader, who was sitting on a chair, looking pale and shaken. Jongdae was by his side, and Luhan could feel his eyes on him. He had carefully avoided meeting them, since he entered that room. Kyungsoo was sitting on the floor by the sofa, not much apart from Kai, which kept glancing at him as if he was afraid his mate could be in danger.

In front of them, right across the room, a woman was sitting on an armchair, discreetly guarded by Minseok.

«Say your name» Joonmyeon commanded, «and tell me what you were doing in my territory.»

The witch smiled. Now that she threw back her hood, he could see she was young and pretty, with her big eyes and petite features, but something in her gave Luhan goosebumps.  She was too sure of herself, alone in the middle of a bunch of werewolves. He was sure she was powerful and dangerous.

«I actually came here to talk to you, leader Joonmyeon» she said, with a charming smile. «Did you like the present I set for you? A little birdie told me you were desperately looking for an omega in heat, and I thought you could appreciate it, if I pushed your new member a bit.»

Joonmyeon smiled coldly. «You guessed right. I wonder why you would gift me with such generosity, though.»

The witch scoffed, trying to act cute. «Aw. You don’t even ask my name? You’re a very impolite little doggie.»

Kai growled. «Don’t dare calling my leader a dog, bitch» he snarled, «otherwise...»

«Chill out, blondie. I could kill you in a blink of an eye, if I just wanted to.»

«Mind your own business, Kai» Joonmyeon said, irritated with the beta’s boldness. Kai bowed his head, but kept glaring at the witch, who looked amused by their antics. «Fine, let’s be polite. What’s your name, witch?»

«Yoona.»

Joonmyeon smirked, and for a moment, Luhan saw why everyone used to respect and be afraid of him. «I’ll ask just once, Yoona» the pack leader murmured. «What do you want from us exactly?»

The girl grinned. «I want to sign a pact with you wolf boys.»

«Witches and wolves never really made an alliance before.»

Yoona rolled her eyes. «Please, I don’t give a damn about you furballs’ business. Let’s say we have some interests in common, and that we might actually take advantage from some mutual help.»

Joonmyeon raised an eyebrow. «Mutual help?»

«One of our sisters left the coven and went to the Yitiao Langs» Yoona said, matter-of-factly. «Leaving the coven, once you entered it, is forbidden. See my point?»

The pack leader shifted in his seat. «Are you perhaps saying you and your coven are willing to help us fighting the Yitiao Langs in order to get back your fellow witch?»

Yoona yawned. «Dense, aren’t you? You are really kind of slow.»

Joonmyeon growled, and Luhan shivered when he got a first taste of his true power.

The thought of having to mate with him filled him with fear.

«Let’s put it like this, wolfie» Yoona said. «I’ve set everything up for you to recover and get back to your old self. Now, I expect that you help me and my sisters get back our... how did you call her? Our fellow witch. Oh my God. So funny.»

«Why did she left you? Why did she went to the Yitiao Langs, of all people? She could have just joined another coven.»

Yoona’s smile turned icy. «Now you’re being a little too curious, aren’t you? This is private.»

This was Joonmyeon’s turn to smile like a shark. «Don’t assume I’m really interested in your pathetic tricks, witch. I care just for my pack’s wellbeing.»

«Fine, then» Yoona didn’t lose her composure. «I suppose I’ll call it a deal, then. Remember: my girls will help you guys locate the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters and they’ll support you during the attack. You can kill and slaughter at your liking, we don’t care, but the witch needs to stay unharmed. Got it? She is ours.»

«Got it» Joonmyeon softly approved, looking drained even from that short conversation.

«You’d better mate soon, dude» the witch said, «you look like shit. Now, if you’ll excuse me.»

She opened her arms wide, her power surging in the candlelight, and she disappeared into thin air.

« _Witches_ » Kai growled, furious. «They’re the worst.»

An uncomfortable silence fell among the pack members, while Jongdae reached out to hug Joonmyeon tightly. «I’m afraid she’s right» Yixing said, after a while. «Luhan’s heat won’t last for long, and we don’t have much time.»

Luhan’s heart grew as heavy as a stone.

«I’m sorry, Luhan» Joonmyeon whispered. «I’d have avoided this, if I could.»

«It’s okay» the omega found himself whispering back. «Just... let’s do it quick and let’s not think about it too much.»

Jongdae helped Joonmyeon on his feet, starting to drag him towards the staircase. «I’ll pay you back for this, I swear» the pack leader said.

Luhan’s throat narrowed, preventing him from replying. He would have told Joonmyeon that it was okay, it wasn’t a big deal, but it wasn’t true. He was a virgin, he never offered his body to anyone. He knew nothing about mating or sex, the only think he’d been told was that it hurt and it was a compulsory, instinctive and rather violent thing, at least for werewolves.

Sehun and Tao stood, letting Yixing sit on the sofa next to him. «Luhan, you don’t have to worry» the healer murmured, stroking the omega’s shoulder in a comforting way, «it will be okay. The pill I gave you before will prevent you from getting pregnant.»

Luhan nodded, actually relieved by the news, but his eyes were swelling with tears, which started falling over his cheeks. Just a couple days before he was at home with his adoptive family, chilling in his room surrounded by his videogames, comic books and music. His life took such a sudden turn that he was totally unprepared for it.

«I’m scared» he murmured, leaning over the healer’s shoulder, letting the wolf hold him.

«Joonmyeon might be known for his power» Yixing reassured him softly, «but he’s also gentle and generous. He won’t hurt you.»

Luhan raised his gaze. Minseok was still standing by the door, looking elsewhere, his eyes dark and unreadable.

«Let’s go» Yixing said, «we need to prepare you properly.»

\---oOo---

Not much later, he knocked on Joonmyeon’s door.

«You can come in» the pack leader said, in a strained voice.

Slowly, Luhan pushed the door open, entering the room. It was dark, since only a small, half-consumed candle was lit on a stool away from the bed. He couldn’t see the laying wolf’s face, and he couldn’t read his mood.

«Come into the light, so that I can see you. Don’t be afraid.»

Luhan did as if he was told. Previously, Kyungsoo and Jongdae helped him get ready for his encounter with the pack leader, helping him bathe and scrub his naked body with scented oils, then carefully styling his hair and applying some beauty products on his face, something that suspiciously looked like makeup. Finally, they helped him wear a pure white, silky bathrobe. The two omegas worked silently, without speaking to him, and also rather solemnly, as if they were performing some sort of ritual. Luhan didn’t dare telling anything to them, because he knew they were both envious of him. Kyungsoo of his health and youth, Jongdae... well... that was easy to guess, wasn’t it. Luhan felt sorry for him, and also guilty. Jongdae and Joonmyeon’s bond was obvious to see, and he hated the thought of intruding between them. It made him feel dirty.

«You are truly beautiful» Joonmyeon said, attempting to smile, but he didn’t manage to fool Luhan completely.

It was hard for the pack leader too, because he loved someone else.

«Thanks.»

«Come here» Joonmyeon faintly murmured, «I can’t move.»

Luhan slowly approached the bed, sitting on the edge of the mattress. Joonmyeon’s hand crept over his thigh, caressing it lightly before squeezing his knee. To his shame, Luhan’s body immediately reacted to that touch.

He bent his head, trying to disconnect his heart from his mind.

«Close your eyes» Joonmyeon softly suggested, and Luhan complied.

He was quivering, when he felt Joonmyeon’s hands press gently over his shoulders, pushing him in a laying position. He whimpered, parting his legs slightly to let the pack leader accommodate between his thighs. He was hard, and he could already feel him nudge at the part of his body which nobody ever accessed before.

He kept his eyes closed, gritting his teeth in anticipation. Even if the medicine made it better, his body still wanted this to happen.

«I’ll make it quick» Joonmyeon panted in his ear, before pushing in. Luhan keened in discomfort. It was painful.

Joonmyeon started pistoning inside of him, quickly picking up a rhythm. Luhan could feel that he was big, and that his body clasped around him almost impossibly tight. After a while, though, when he thought he was beginning to adjust, he felt him swell, and he gasped in pain.

«Resist» Joonmyeon whispered in his ear. «I’m close.»

Luhan screamed when his knot was pushed past his tight ring of muscles, pouring the pack leader’s semen inside of him.

He stayed still, pain paralyzing his limbs, while Joonmyeon panted, suspended over him, their bodies still connected.

When he extracted himself from him, Luhan finally found the courage to talk. «Do you feel better, now?»

Joonmyeon let himself fall on the mattress, his chest heaving. «I... yeah, I think so.»

Luhan let him catch his breath for another while, then he asked for the permission to go.

«Yes, Luhan» Joonmyeon gently told him, «thank you so much. I’ll never forget what you did for me.»

Luhan bent his head slightly, before tying his robe and padding softly out of the room.

In the corridor, he met Jongdae. His gaze downcast, the omega quickly walked past him, getting inside Joonmyeon’s room swiftly. Behind the half-closed door, Luhan could see the pack leader reaching out for his lover, pulling him in a bruising embrace.

They belonged together, he thought. They were in love.

He went inside of his room, aiming straight for the bed and letting himself fall over it.  It was still night, and he could see glimpses of the full moon from the shutters’ gapes. He curled up into a ball, fighting the urge to cry.

The medicine’s effects were fading away. He was panting again, and his body was already self-lubricating between his thighs. «I hate it» he murmured, talking to nobody. «I hate it.»

He felt absolutely nothing, during his quick mating with the pack leader. Pain, tension, a hint of terror, even if he kind of trusted Joonmyeon. This was not how he had pictured his first time having sex.

His nostrils suddenly caught a familiar scent, which made him bolt into a sitting position. He knew who was coming to meet him... he had been waiting for him.

Someone knocked on his door. «I’ve brought you something to eat and another pill» Minseok said, coming in to give him a plate with meat and vegetables, «Yixing says that you need to take it on a full stomach, and that you need to hydrate because you’ve been sweating a lot and you might feel weak.»

Luhan said nothing, staring at him. His face, under the soft moonlight, was beautiful.

«T-thanks» he murmured.

Stopping a few steps away from him, Minseok stared back, his eyes dark and thoughtful. «Do you need something else? Would you like me to call Kyungsoo to keep you company?»

«No» Luhan faintly replied, his voice barely audible. «I only want you.»

He cringed, when he heard himself saying those words aloud, and Minseok actually stepped back, alarmed. «Luhan, no. You don’t know what you’re saying. I’ll call Kyungsoo, he’ll be here in a flash.»

«Let Kyungsoo spend the night with his lover» Luhan bitterly retorted. «It’s where he’s supposed to be.»

Minseok looked conflicted. «Then Sehun? Tao?»

Luhan kept silent, locking his gaze to the wolf’s. His hips moved on their own, bucking slightly upwards, and Luhan felt his cheeks burn. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Minseok’s face, his almond-shaped eyes, his round cheeks, his plush lips, his nose. He was so beautiful.

«Please» he murmured, «don’t make me beg. I couldn’t stand another humiliation.»

Minseok swallowed, and the view of his bobbing Adam apple sent a shiver through Luhan’s lower abdomen. «It’s forbidden» he protested, but with a soft voice that made Luhan absurdly hopeful, «you’ve already been claimed by my pack leader.»

«It’s just a scar, it means nothing.»

«You can’t be serious.»

His refuse made Luhan’s heart ache. Tears formed into his eyes, threatening to spill over his cheeks. Minseok was right, obviously. He couldn’t disobey his pack’s rules. He didn’t want to put him in an inconvenient position, he didn’t want him to feel compelled to mate with him. Still, his body, and probably not only it, wanted him.

He curled up into a ball, trying to ease the pain in his limbs. His whole body itched with need, and he was shaking with the effort of controlling it. He was trying to breathe, when he felt gentle fingers tangle in his mussed hair.

His lips parted almost instantly, as an unconditioned reflex, when a male body suddenly came to weigh over him, pushing him on the bed. Minseok’s mouth covered his own, while their tongues met in a bruising kiss.

Luhan pushed his hips against the wolf’s already hard body, desperate for contact. His scent was amazing, deep, musky, as mysterious and intense as him. He groaned softly when Minseok’s tongue abandoned his lips, sweeping along his chin only to taste the soft flesh of his throat.

«Knot me» he whispered, engulfing Minseok’s still clothed midsection between his bare legs. «I want you so much.»

The wolf growled softly, pressing a line of kisses over his bony collarbone. «That’s my line» he rumbled in the back of his throat, giving Luhan goosebumps.

Minseok stood, quickly getting to the door to lock it properly from the inside, leaving Luhan writing on the bed, then he started stripping frantically, actually throwing his clothes on the floor. Luhan stared at him, amazed. His body was muscular and toned, and he was well-endowed. _Too_ well-endowed.

«Y-you are... an alpha?» he croaked, his voice husky.

Minseok jumped on the bed again, making the mattress creak noticeably. His hard cock pressed against Luhan’s belly, making him throw his head back in anticipation.

«I am» he confirmed. His right hand roamed over Luhan’s chest, touching the edge of his ribs under the silky skin, the soft plane of his stomach and the hard hipbone. Then it dipped lower, grabbing the base of his cock.

Luhan made a small noise, locking his gaze with Minseok’s. Their eyes met, the alpha’s dark pupils sucking the omega in.

«Please» Luhan breathed, «I can’t wait anymore.»

«I can’t be quick» Minseok gasped, tugging at his foreskin lightly. «You took a knot just recently, and you must still be sore. I can’t be aggressive, or I’ll just end to hurt you.»

«I don’t care.»

Minseok’s lips brushed against Luhan’s. «I care.»

Luhan’s chest swelled. Since he came into the pack, he had been craving friendship and gentleness. He wasn’t used to werewolves’ archaic rules and rituals, he only knew humans’ ways of creating relationships. His bonds with the Neugdaes were still weak and on the verge of collapsing. In a small, dark place of his heart, he was still secretly scared of each of them.

«Thanks» he whispered, right against Minseok’s mouth, «it means so much to me.»

The alpha cupped his face with his hand, wiping his tears with his thumb. «You must hate all of us, for what we did to you. But really, we’ll be forever thankful for what you did for Joonmyeon. I saw him before, and he looks much better. You saved us.»

Luhan started sobbing, circling Minseok’s slender waist with his arms to pull him closer. The sexual tension was still there, but he could feel how those words soothed him.

Minseok kissed his cheek. Then, when Luhan’s head turned towards him, he kissed his lips, gently, almost lovingly. And Luhan felt a new rush of excitement jolt through his body.

«Please» he said, and Minseok’s hand travelled lower, dipping on the slick gathered between his legs. Luhan panted, losing himself in the sensation of Minseok’s fingers penetrating him. «What... what are you doing?»

«Stretching you a bit» the alpha replied, peppering kisses all over his chest. «I was serious, before. I don’t want to hurt you. You’ve already endured enough.»

«Why are you so nice to me? You’ve always been, since I came here.»

The wolf raised his gaze to look at him, while Luhan’s hand came to caress his hair. «I don’t know» Minseok replied. «I have no idea, really. But I always felt as if... as if some invisible force was pushing me towards you.»

Luhan whimpered. He felt exactly the same. Those faint electric jolts, the vague burn where Minseok fingers touched him, the powerful sensation when he held him close during the witch’s incursion at the headquarters...

«Might it be just because I’m an omega and you are an alpha?»

Minseok wriggled his fingers inside of him, making him gasp. «Maybe» he admitted, «or maybe not. I’ve never felt this attracted to an omega, before.»

Luhan grimaced. Now he could feel it, some discomfort while Minseok probed at his internal walls. His body, though, was lubricating much more than during his encounter with Joonmyeon, making it way better.

«You are so beautiful» Minseok panted, inserting a third finger and making Luhan’s breath hitch when he brushed against his prostate.

«Oh...»

The alpha’s lips closed around one of his nipples, making him squirm. Luhan was going to get crazy with desire.

«Please, I need... ugh...»

«I know» Minseok cut him off, «I need it too.»

He retrieved his hand, leaving Luhan’s tight hole, and then he positioned himself so that the tip of his cock was pushing slightly against his entrance.

Luhan’s head was spinning, the smell of their mixed arousals making him high. He wanted him so much.

Looking at him in the eyes, Minseok slowly entered him.

The silence, in the room and in the big villa, was deafening. The moment felt weirdly solemn, as if they were performing some sort of ancient ceremony.

«Are you in pain?» Minseok asked, in a soft but strained voice.

Luhan shook his head slowly. The alpha didn’t begin to move yet, but he was deeply lodged inside of him. Their bodies were connected, and the way their gazes seemed unable to tear away made everything more intimate, more meaningful.

 _I don’t even know him_ , Luhan suddenly thought. _I barely know his name_.

«No» he replied. «But please, be gentle.»

Minseok’s forehead came to rest on his own, the tips of their noses touching. «I will.»

And he started to move. Relief spread through Luhan’s entire being: Minseok’s cock inside of him felt good. The pain was there, but it was just a dull discomfort. He straightened his back a little, lifting his shoulders from the mattress, and he actually gasped when the angle changed and he could feel a direct stimulation aimed at his prostate. The pleasure overpowered the pain, making it disappear quickly. So _this_ was what mating really was, he thought, amazed.

He looked at Minseok. His face was twisted in a grimace of lust and concentration. Slowly, he strained to reach the alpha’s sweaty brow with his lips, kissing it sweetly. «You’re beautiful too» he purred, «I’ve always thought it.»

The compliment drove Minseok crazy. Luhan found himself pushed on the mattress again, his legs held upwards, his feet shaking mid-air, while the alpha pounded inside of him, slamming into his most sensitive spot. He stifled a moan, biting on Minseok’s shoulder hard enough to draw blood.

His orgasm crept through him, crawling from his toes to the tip of his hair, radiating from the very core of his body. It left him weak and spent, his limbs turned into mush.

Minseok, though, still hadn’t finished. «I’m going... I’m going t-to... _ugh_.»

Luhan’s mouth fell open, when he felt Minseok’s knot pushing inside of him. He breathed, trying to relax, while his rim squeezed around it to prevent the intrusion. He shivered when the widest part went past his sphincter with an audible pop, and for a moment he just endured the pain, feeling the knot pulse faintly inside of him. Minseok’s breathing was ragged and rushed.

«Do it» Luhan softly commanded, and the alpha finally let go, coming hard.

Luhan held him tightly, while Minseok trembled and spasmed, crashing over him, unable to move.

They stayed like that, catching their breaths, their bodies still connected. Slowly, the candle consumed completely, and the white eye of the full moon started to set.


	4. Four

They stayed motionless, entwined, until a faint light started showing through the shutters. «I should really go, now» Minseok murmured, his voice resonating through Luhan’s ribcage. The alpha’s head was resting over the omega’s chest, his lips touching his skin. «I’m sorry.»

«I understand» Luhan replied, threading his hand into Minseok’s soft hair another time. «I’ll see you later, right?»

The alpha lifted his head, propping on his elbows to look into Luhan’s eyes. «The others shouldn’t know about this, Luhan» he said. «We should really keep it a secret.»

Something dreadful happened to Luhan’s guts, while he processed those words. «Why?» he softly asked.

Minseok pursed his lips. «I’m barely tolerated, as a member of this pack, I’m sure you already realized. If they had to find out we spent the night together, they might get angry at you too, and I don’t want this to happen.» The alpha chastely kissed his lips. «Please, don’t tell anyone.»

Luhan held him tighter. «Are you perhaps saying we can’t be together like this? Anymore?»

«I’m sorry.»

Luhan felt a sharp pain, somewhere deep inside of him. He didn’t want anything like that to happen. He wanted to stay with Minseok as much as he could. «What did you do, to make them this angry?» he asked. «You’re such a nice person. I can’t imagine the reason why they’re so mean to you.»

Minseok nuzzled lightly against him, sighing. In spite of his words, he didn’t look like he wanted to get out and leave Luhan alone on the bed. «I can’t tell.»

Luhan moved on the mattress, actually curling up against him. Minseok was a little shorter than him, but his body was hard and toned. He loved feeling his strong arms around his middle. «Secrets, always secrets» he whispered. «I’m sick of it.»

Minseok sighed again. «I’m sick of it too.»

He gently disentangled himself from Luhan’s arms, pecking the boy’s lips before getting on his feet and wearing his underwear and pants. He put on his tee, then he handed his jacket to Luhan. «They’re going to smell my scent all over you, now» he explained. «Just say you were cold and that you borrowed this from me. This will be enough, I think.»

Luhan accepted the jacket, wrapping it over his shoulders and curling up against the fabric. It really carried Minseok’s scent. «Okay» he murmured. They stared at each other again, a little awkward. None of them wanted to part like that.

«I’ll see you later» Minseok finally said, before finally finding the courage to move his feet and getting out of the room. Luhan heard a faint rustle when the alpha leant his back against the closed door.

For a while, he just stayed in bed, basking in the residual warmth and in the comforting scent that his lover left behind. He felt the need of taking a shower, and he stood to reach the bedroom’s door, wrapping Minseok’s jacket around his naked body. When he peeked outside, he found out Minseok wasn’t there, and that the corridor was empty.

He padded barefoot to the bathroom at the end of the corridor, locking the door behind his back when he was inside. There, he lit a candle someone left in a corner with some matches and looked at himself in the cracked mirror.

His hair were mussed and stuck to a side of his head, and his face was as pale as a washed rag, but apart from that he looked always the same. During his recent romp with Minseok, the bandage on his neck came off, revealing the tender skin beneath, already healed, but a rosier colour. It was bound to leave a scar over his fair complexion, and Luhan sincerely hated to look at it.

It reminded him of how he parted his legs to Joonmyeon, a man (a wolf?) he barely knew, like a cheap whore.

He switched on the water, waiting for it to warm up. It wasn’t his own will, that made him do that. It was the whole situation, the heat, and above all, Joonmyeon’s desperate beg. He remembered well the look of agony on the pack leader’s face during their brief encounter. It had been difficult for Luhan, but it had been terrible for Joonmyeon as well. He had to cheat on his lover to save his own life, and Luhan had the feeling that now Joonmyeon felt guilty towards Jongdae, but also towards him, because he forced him to mate with him.

While he washed his body, he suddenly realized that mating with Minseok, instead, suddenly sated his heat. He didn’t feel hot and bothered anymore, and he actually felt good, maybe a little sore but overall fine and full of energy. After his quick mating with Joonmyeon, he kept feeling restless, as if nothing happened. Could it mean something? But what? He had no idea.

He washed his hair, and while he fumbled in the semi-darkness for a towel, he suddenly realized about something.

Didn’t Minseok bring him another pill, when he came previously? He couldn’t remember if he actually took it.

He wrapped the towel around his waist, then he almost ran all the way back to his room. Didn’t Yixing say that pill was supposed to ease his heat symptoms, as well to avoid the risk of an unwanted pregnancy? He didn’t remember.

He immediately went to check the small table where Minseok put the food. It was still there, untouched, and he couldn’t see any pill, anywhere. He breathed more easily, relieved. He surely took it without noticing, since he was so worked up because of the alpha’s presence. Yeah, it must be like that, right? Right?

Then, he spotted it. A small, white thing, on the floor.

Please, let it be a pebble, he silently prayed, but he already knew it couldn’t be. Trembling, he reached out for the tiny pill, holding it on his palm.

How many hours ago did Minseok bring the medicine? At least three, he thought, if not four. It wasn’t a big deal, right? It couldn’t be. He blew over the pill before placing it over his tongue and gulping it down. It stuck deep in his throat for a second, then it went down.

His ragged breathing finally eased. He had the sensation he avoided a huge disaster by a hair.

He couldn’t even contemplate the perspective of getting impregnated with Joonmyeon’s seed, he really couldn’t. It made his stomach turn. He had nothing against him, he didn’t look like a cruel wolf, but... a baby? Or better, a puppy? No way. Really no way.

He lifted the lid of the covered pot, staring at the cold soup. It didn’t smell bad, and when he tasted it he thought that it might be really awesome, if properly heated on a stove. He wondered if Kyungsoo made it, and he actually sat on the bed, spooning it up little by little. It was delicious.

He was already staring at the bottom of the pot when he was hit by a sudden thought. After mating with Joonmyeon, he mated with Minseok too. Actually, he remembered with a shiver, not a totally unpleasant one, how the alpha’s knot pulsed inside of him, pouring all his seed in his omega’s womb. For some reason, the thought of carrying Minseok’s puppy didn’t look as unpleasant as having the pack leader’s offspring inside of his belly.

He actually touched his abdomen, finding it nice and tight as usual.

There was no puppy, in there, he was sure of it. He was just a little shaken by the last events, and he was being a tad bit paranoid.

His thoughts, though, kept drifting to Minseok. He could feel his cheeks burn, when he recalled the strong emotions that ran through him during their sexual encounter. In his arms, he felt cherished and protected, even if Minseok took the active role.

It wasn’t natural, though, feeling so drawn to someone, when you didn’t even know him properly.

He reached for Minseok’s jacket, actually using it as a blanket to cover his half-naked body. It still smelled so nice, and it made him feel a little less lonely, while the birds outside started chirping. Soon someone would have come to check on him, and what would have happened then? What kind of scary surprises would that upcoming day reserve for him?

He fell asleep, only to bolt when Kyungsoo entered the room. «Wake up, sunshine» he called, by the door. The other omega glanced at him, all curled up on the bed, and smiled lightly. «How are you feeling? I sent Sehun into town to get some jam to spread on the muffins. There’s also a jar of Nutella, if you want it.»

The mention of food actually convinced Luhan to put on some clothes and follow the little omega downstairs. The pack was already gathered around the table, and they looked rather sheepish.

«Hello, Luhan» Yixing greeted him, stopping right in front of him. He took his face between his hands, studying him for a little while. «You look good, I’m happy.» And without any warning, he pulled him in a hug. Luhan, surprised, tried to squirm away, but the beta held him tight. «I was worried, you know?»

«Get lost, dumpling! My turn to hug my friend.» And the healer was pushed away, only to be replaced with Sehun. The young beta’s arms were much stronger, and Luhan almost choked.

«Uh... I can’t breathe...»

«Let him go» Tao growled, pulling Sehun away, «can’t you see you’re making him uncomfortable? You’re such a thug.»

«Oh really? At least I act manly. Luhan, I have a little riddle for you. Guess who was snivelling about you last night to the point he actually drenched his pillow in his own tears?»

Tao, whose face became a deep crimson colour, bared his fangs. «Shut the fuck up!»

«This guy!» Sehun finished, without showing any mercy. «He’s such a cry baby.»

«Say it again!»

Yixing rolled his eyes at the both of them, but then he smirked towards Luhan. «Will you help me get some bandages from my first-aid kit? I think we’ll need those, when Chanyeol will hear about this little morning show.»

Sehun froze in absolute terror, letting go of Tao’s collar. «Yixing, my dear friend» he stuttered, «you aren’t going to tell Chanyeol for real, aren’t you? You’re such a good friend of mine and you’re always so nice to me.»

The healer shot him a very bright smile while he sat and moved a chair for Luhan. «Flattery won’t be of any help, puppy.»

Sehun pouted, sitting down and stuffing his mouth to relieve his bitterness, while Tao kept snickering at him. Their little scene, though, put Luhan in a good mood.

«Those two are really like cat and dog, aren’t they?»

Yixing smiled at him, showing a very cute dimple. «They are. And it’s nice seeing them so lively, after you showed up. They were all depressed, this morning.»

Luhan blushed. «I did nothing, though.»

«You saved our pack leader from an almost certain death» Yixing gently corrected him, «I wouldn’t call it nothing.»

Luhan lowered his gaze, staring at the flowers someone nicely arranged in the middle of the table. «We were so conflicted, yesterday» the healer went on, while Tao and Sehun respectfully kept silent as well, «we felt so bad, forcing you to do something like that. We wouldn’t be surprised if you tried running away or harming yourself, honestly, but you proved to be much tougher than we could imagine. I know it’s weird... but all of us consider you as our hero.»

The omega blinked his eyes, thinking that nobody would have believed him, if he went around telling that story to his human friends at school. «Where are the others?»

«The alphas went to Joonmyeon to pay their respects, while Kyungsoo and Kai are still making breakfast. They said we’ll have porridge, today.» The healer actually sounded enthusiast, and Luhan almost smiled. Almost. The whole situation was still too awkward for him to handle properly.

«So, I gather that Joonmyeon feels better?»

«Better? He looks brand new, and all thanks to you. His fatigue, laboured breath and lack of appetite just disappeared. Today he had his first decent meal after an awfully long while, and I’m positive he’ll gain his muscle strength back in a few days.»

«I’m happy to hear that» Luhan murmured. Then, he realized that Yixing previously forgot to mention one certain member of the pack. «And where’s Jongdae?»

Tao dropped his spoon, cursing when it fell on the floor. Yixing’s happy expression faltered a little, and Luhan felt his heart sink. «He’s mad, isn’t he? He’s mad at me.»

«He’s not» the healer kindly replied, «he’s just...»

«I shall look for him and apologize.»

«Apologize for what?» Tao barged in. «It’s not like you did something wrong yourself. It’s that fucking curse, and the Yitiao Langs, who started all this mess. He’s being stubborn, that’s it.»

«Tao» Yixing warned him, «watch your mouth.»

«Why, what did I say wrong? He’s acting like a prima donna.»

«Maybe Chanyeol isn’t wrong, and Yi Fan needs to be informed about your behaviour» Yixing suggested, and the beta immediately buttoned his mouth, intimidated. Luhan was starting to understand that the healer was usually a gentle and laid-back character, but that he really didn’t tolerate any disrespect. He liked him.

«I get what you mean, guys, really» he said, in a quiet voice, «but I still think I need to talk to him in private. Just to clarify a couple things.»

Yixing sighed. «He went taking a walk outside. You can go to him, if you want, but please, don’t get too far from the villa, okay?»

Luhan smiled at him. «Okay. Thank you, Yixing.»

He briefly said goodbye to Sehun and Tao, then quickly went outside. The three betas stared at each other.

«Fuck, he’s such an angel» Sehun complained. «Why couldn’t he be my mate? I’d have treated him like a prince.»

«Crushing on the pretty omega already, you big bad wolf?» Tao teased him. Sehun shot him an annoyed glance.

«As if you aren’t as well.»

Tao was about to reply, when Yixing actually let out a growl. «Oh, for fuck’s sake, guys, eat your breakfast and shut the hell up.»

The healer never cursed, and the two younger betas actually chose to obey, concentrating on their muffins.

Sehun spread a shitload of Nutella over one slice, feeling depressed again. In a corner of his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about how Luhan reeked of that spiteful dog’s stench. He was the wolf with the best sense of smell in the pack, and he actually thought it was a little too strong, to come off only by the shirt that Luhan kept draped over his shoulders, but Yixing was in a bad mood, and he decided it was better to keep that observation to himself, at least for the moment.

\---oOo---

The weather was nice, and the combination of sunshine and fresh air felt nice to Luhan, who had been secluded in the darkness for days. He wrapped himself in Minseok’s jacket, shivering in the cool breeze, and doing so his nostrils caught a trace of the alpha’s scent. According to Yixing’s words, he was with Chanyeol in Joonmyeon’s room. Luhan raised his gaze to look at the villa’s windows, wondering where exactly the pack leader’s room could be, wondering if Minseok missed him as much as he did.

He shook his head. What kind of nonsense was that? He just had a one night stand, just like a lot of people at school. He was a cool dude and he had sex twice in just one night.

Sex... or mating.

He shivered, rethinking about the scary moment when he realized he didn’t take the pill. Maybe, since Yixing looked so kind and understanding, he could ask him in private if delaying the assumption of it he messed up something, and if he had some other medicine he could take just to make sure he wouldn’t get pregnant.

But he already knew he wouldn’t do anything like that. First of all, it was too embarrassing. Second, he was sure nothing would happen, and that this whole pregnancy thing was just a twisted fantasy of him.

It was time to locate Jongdae, he thought. His mind was taking very weird directions.

He sniffed around, trying to remember the omega’s exact scent. A faint trace of it came from west, and he followed it, carefully stepping through the bramble. The woods around the abandoned villa were thick, and the trees were leafy and contorted. When he bumped into a very old fountain, all covered in musk, he thought that maybe, when the villa’s owners were still alive, the wood could be a nice garden, if not even a labyrinth. In fact, old sculptures were  scattered around, oddly charming with their run-down appearance. In the middle of the foliage, Luhan spotted a stone-carved satyr, a nymph and what totally looked like a Pegasus, even if someone stained it with spray paint.

A person was crouching beneath the ranking winged-horse sculpture, and he stepped forward, recognizing Jongdae’s delicate frame. Even from where he was he could see that the omega had been crying. «Are you okay?» he gently asked. «Jongdae...»

The omega wolf raised his head, quickly wiping at his reddened eyes with his sleeve. «Oh, I should have guessed you’d come to look for me» he said. His tone was bitter, and Luhan really couldn’t blame him for that. «I understood immediately that you were the caring and sweet kind of wolf that we were looking for. Only a sensitive heart would have agreed to our absurd requests without fighting, and you accepted it with such _dignity_ that I felt like a monster, for being jealous of you.»

Jongdae burst into tears again, and Luhan had no other choice but kneeling down on the dirt next to him to pat his shoulder. «You had every right to» he murmured, «this was so cruel to you.»

«If only I wasn’t sterile» the wolf sobbed. «If only my body wasn’t as damaged as it is, I could have helped him. Instead, I just sat on my ass watching him die slowly, losing myself in terror. I didn’t want him to die, of course, but I didn’t want him to mate with someone else as well. I just... he’s mine, damn it. He’s my mate.»

Luhan let him vent out his pain, before quietly starting to soothe him. «He still is, Jongdae» he said, «what he did with me meant nothing, for the both of us. He was in agony thinking of how much he was hurting you, while he was saving his own life.»

«It’s just how he is» Jongdae murmured, daring to stare into Luhan’s eyes. «He’s selfless and generous. He’d do anything for the wellbeing of his pack. He stated it very clearly to me and I believed him, but you can understand this doesn’t make things much easier for the both of us.»

«I understand» Luhan agreed, reaching out to stroke Jongdae’s hair. The omega backed away a little, at his touch, and he subsided.

They both stayed silent for a while, and when Luhan’s knees actually started to ache, Jongdae grabbed his hand. «I want to show you a thing.»

Luhan watched, a little scared, as the omega lifted his shirt to reveal his lower abdomen. His creamy skin was marred with the ugliest scars he ever saw in his whole life, irregular and criss-crossing through his thin middle. «Are those... claw scars?»

«Yes» Jongdae whispered, before pulling Luhan’s hand to make him touch them. They were ugly even at his touch, a weird gummy consistence, and Luhan couldn’t even imagine the pain those wounds had caused to Jongdae. «The night they attacked us, two members of the Yitiao Langs cornered me while Joonmyeon was busy fighting. One of them held me, while the other pushed his claws deep in my belly, actually tearing it apart.»

Luhan whimpered, trying to retrieve his hand, but Jongdae held it firmly in place. «My puppy was bound to born only two months later. I remember falling to the ground, which was all splattered in my own blood. I didn’t want to die, because I knew that if I were to, my puppy would have died along with me, so I tried my best keeping awake, while the war flared up all around. Joonmyeon found me shortly after, but our puppy was already dead.»

The wolf, spent by the tears and the powerful memory, leaned his head over Luhan’s shoulder, desperate for warmth and comfort, letting his wolf instinct take over his thinking mind. Luhan nuzzled gently over his head, trying to make Jongdae feel his sympathy. «I’m so sorry» he repeated, thinking that those words sounded so empty and meaningless.

«He was a boy» Jongdae murmured, «our little wolf.»

Luhan held him close. He was warm and bony, and he looked so frail he felt an endless pity for him. He was the real victim of that absurd story, the one who had to suffer the most.

They stayed together like this until the sun disappeared from their sight, and then they stood to get back to the pack. «What is this place?» Luhan asked. «Does it belong to the Neugdaes?»

Jongdae shook his head. «It was an old property of a friend of mine’s family. We cannot occupy a place that could be easily associated with our pack, or we would be tracked immediately. The Yitiao Langs are very good at locating their enemies, it’s always been their best feature.»

Luhan was thinking about the witch who triggered his heat. «Why would a witch ally with a pack of werewolves?»

«Honestly, we have no idea. Witches and werewolves never fought each other historically, but they never formed an alliance as well. They have separate interests, witches operating mainly in the human world, wolves in their own. They just never mingled together, that’s it.»

«Then why would a witch escape her own coven only to throw herself into a werewolves’ pack?»

Jongdae shrugged. «Maybe they paid her, or they made a deal with her.»

Luhan was still doubtful that alone could be a good reason. «You saw how Yoona looked determined to get her back» he insisted, «once you leave the coven, you can’t get back without getting punished. There must be something else.»

«Listen» Jongdae suddenly asked, «why are you wearing Minseok’s clothes? By the end of the day, you won’t be able to get rid of his smell.»

Luhan carefully sniffed it. «It’s not so bad» he said, but Jongdae looked aggravated.

«It irritates me» he said, «he should have left the pack, after what he did. Too bad Joonmyeon can’t go without one of his alphas, in a moment like this.»

It was so weird, seeing someone as cute as Jongdae blurt out those angry words, that Luhan swallowed his own reply, choosing to keep silent. They walked together without speaking, until Luhan heard a faint rustling sound coming from nearby.

«What is it?» he whispered, talking to Jongdae.

«I don’t know» the other omega murmured, «but I’ve heard it too.»

They looked at each other, and they started to run. They didn’t stop until they were safe inside of the villa, with all the other wolves gathered around the table. Joonmyeon was there as well, and he smiled when he saw Jongdae with Luhan.

Luhan envied the strength of their bond, while Jongdae literally flew in his lover’s arms, curling up against him. «It’s so nice to see you’re better» he murmured, before hiding his face in Joonmyeon’s chest.

The pack leader kissed the crown of his head. «I feel much better» he said, «and there are good news as well. Yi Fan is back.»

In fact, Luhan’s sensitive nostrils already located an unknown wolf sitting with the others. He was lean and very tall, towering above the other wolves, and he gave off the very distinct scent of an alpha. Next to him, Minseok looked almost impossibly small and baby-faced.

When Minseok raised his gaze to meet his eyes, though, Luhan’s heart skipped a beat.

«Sit, Luhan» Joonmyeon invited him. «Yi Fan was about to tell us about his investigation at the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters.»

«I’ll be quick» the Chinese alpha said, barely glancing at Luhan taking a seat next to Kyungsoo and Kai before going on, «the Yitiao Langs actually took a witch in their pack only to protect themselves. Apparently, there’s a group of hunters who targeted them, and they really fear them.»

«They’re scared of some human hunter?» Kai yawned, uninterested. «They must be really desperate.»

Yi Fan clicked his tongue. «Actually, they are, if they even kidnapped a witch to increase their protection.»

«Wait, so they kidnapped the witch in the first place?» Chanyeol barged in. «Then Yoona was wrong and she didn’t left the coven.»

«This is what I got from listening to their conversations» Yi Fan quietly stated. «This group of hunters really worries them, because they are cruel, ruthless and apparently they have a demon among them.»

«A demon?» Chanyeol gritted his teeth. «This is impossible!»

«And there’s something more. The head of these hunters is a guy called Lee Jinki. Have you ever heard of him?»

«Oh, fuck» Sehun  cursed, before starting to fidget on his seat. Luhan saw Tao grab his hand and hold it tight.

«Who is he?» he dared asking. «And why is it important?»

Yi Fan stared at him. His eyes were small and sharp, and his thick eyebrows made his gaze a little intimidating. «He’s a very rich man, and he built his fortune over a trade of supernatural creatures he sold to collectors or to people who wanted to use them.»

Luhan was speechless. «What?»

«Vampires, werewolves, fairies, sirens, he hunts down and sells them for money. In China, extracting ointments and medicines from supernatural creatures’ bodies it’s a pretty common thing.»

«I can’t believe it.»

Yi Fan didn’t pay attention to his comment. «So, these hunters now targeted the Yitiao Langs. They can afford every weapon available, as well as every possible silver bullet they need, all thanks to Lee Jinki’s wealth, but above all, they can count on their fellow demon’s power.»

«Tell us more about this» Joonmyeon encouraged him.

«He’s a jinn that Jinki found somewhere in Saudi Arabia. He can change form as he likes, and he is bound to Jinki with some kind of pact.»

«Almost like a genie?»

«I don’t know exactly» the alpha grumbled. «But the Yitiao Langs seem to fear him the most among them.»

«We should pay attention too» Chanyeol said, «who knows if these hunters were to come after us as well? We should be prepared.»

Joonmyeon pondered those words for a while, closing his eyes. The whole pack stared at him, on pinpricks. «Let’s get prepared to leave this place» the leader finally said, «we’ll leave by tomorrow morning.»

\---oOo---

Luhan was in his room, packing the few things that now were his belongings: some clean clothes of his size (all belonging to Tao, who was a bit of a fashionista), an old book he found thrown in a corner (some Latin classics he didn’t really care about, but it was the only thing available) and a little diamond-shaped crystal pendant coming from the huge chandelier that was in the dining room. Luhan asked Jongdae if he could take one of those, since they looked so pretty, and the omega agreed to his request. He looked desolated, at the perspective of leaving that place, and Luhan hugged him tightly. He loved the idea of getting a little more intimate with him. Jongdae was someone he really liked.

Joonmyeon, though, had been carefully avoiding him, as if the mere sight of Luhan made him uneasy. Luhan guessed he still needed some time, to feel entirely comfortable in his presence, so he didn’t get any offense by his behaviour.

He was there, staring at the half-empty backpack, when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his middle, pulling him in a tight hug. «Did you miss me?»

Luhan already knew who it was. «Yes» he breathed, before Minseok claimed his mouth for a scorching kiss.

«When I saw you in the dining room, before, I could barely resist from running at you.» Minseok’s lips travelled lower, nipping at Luhan’s chin and jaw. «What did you do to me?»

«That’s my line» Luhan whispered, before Minseok slid his arms under the omega’s thighs, lifting him almost effortlessly and pressing him flush against himself for another bruising kiss. «God. I’ve wanted to kiss you like this for the whole day.»

«I can’t stay» Minseok murmured, «I need to help Yixing pack his medical stuff. I just dropped by for a second. I couldn’t waste the chance to see you in private. God only knows when I’ll be able to do that again.»

Luhan aggressively gnawed at the alpha’s earlobe, making him shiver. «And when will we be in the same bed? I need you.» It was the absolute truth, and it actually startled him. His heat was over, and he was still telling such weird things? Weird, very weird.

«I’m sorry.» Minseok put him on his feet, biting on his lip. «I’m truly sorry.»

Luhan smirked.  «Oh, don’t be. We’ll just have to wait a little more, right? This will make things just more intense when the time comes... oh.» He blushed, covering his mouth with his hands. «I keep telling the dirtiest things, oh my God. I sound like a whore. It’s so embarrassing.»

Minseok chuckled, touching their noses together. «You’re so cute.»

He placed the gentlest kiss over Luhan’s lips, before backing away. «I mean it. I’ll see you later.»

«Yeah» Luhan murmured, watching him go past the door. He stayed put, catching his breath, his head spinning lightly, until Kyungsoo came to check if he was done packing.  

They left by dawn, walking through the woods. Luhan thought they looked a little weird, all wearing their backpacks and walking in line, but when the lights went down and the night descended on them, he didn’t find it funny anymore.

The wood was thick and scary, with its faint noises and animal sounds all around. Luhan could feel his wolf’s instincts react to the rustling of a bunny inside of a hole, or at the glimpse of a squirrel running up a tree. Owls keep making their unsettling call, a sound that actually made him shiver.

«Stop» suddenly told Yi Fan, who was leading the column holding a flashlight.

Sehun, who was walking right in front of Luhan, actually stepped back, reaching out to grip the omega’s hand in his big one. He was scared, and Luhan held his hand tight, trying to give him some courage.

In front of them, there was a person, a human. «Hello, Neugdaes» he said, «I think we need to talk.»

«He’s Lee Jinki» Sehun whispered, quivering next to Luhan. «We’re all dead.»

Luhan stared, frozen, as four other people slowly appeared in the darkness behind Jinki’s back, one of them clad in a black cloak. And when Jinki stepped into the light, making his face show fully, Sehun fainted and fell to the ground, pulling Luhan along with him.


	5. Five

Tao immediately threw himself in front of the fallen beta, ready to protect him. The man called Lee Jinki, though, didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the tall alpha’s bared fangs. «Uh-oh. Quick-tempered, aren’t we? I said I just want to talk.»

«Back off, Tao» Joonmyeon ordered, stepping forward to face the hunter. «Take care of Sehun.»

The Chinese beta knelt by the younger beta’s side, clutching his body to his chest. Luhan thought that it looked like a somewhat possessive gesture for a friend, but he kept silent, worried for the abrupt turn of events. 

Jinki was small and young-looking, but he knew appearance could be deceiving. «Introductions first. These two are Minho and Kibum, the other standing behind is Jonghyun, while the one wearing black is Taemin. Or better, we call him Taemin, because his real name is terribly hard to say. He comes from very far away.»

The three humans alone would look scary enough, Luhan thought, but the one clad in the black robes was the most terrifying one of the group. He could feel the darkness oozing out of him, and even if his little child-like face could look cute, his kohl-lined eyes were ancient, cunning and just downright cruel. He was the jinn Yi Fan had told them about, and now that he was in his proximity, Luhan was frozen in terror.

«I won’t annoy your for long» Jinki said, smiling charmingly to Joonmyeon, who was trying his best not to pant because of the long walk. He was still weak, but he didn’t want to show it to the enemy. «We’re looking for the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters, and we know you might have an interest in helping us. Who better than a werewolf could smell the presence of... a bunch of werewolves?» The hunter cackled at his own humour. «Funny, isn’t it?»

Suddenly, Joonmyeon bowed his head, and Luhan almost screamed. What kind of gesture was that? Was the pack leader paying his respects to those people?

Jinki looked confused as well. «Man» he said, «you must really be desperate, for behaving like this.»

But this was Joonmyeon’s turn to shoot him a charming smile. «I wasn’t bowing to you, human, but to the demon. I can recognize someone who was born along with the Earth itself, when I see him.»

The jinn smiled, while the three hunters stifled their own smirks. Jinki looked like someone just slapped him on the face. «Fine» he said, at the end, gritting his teeth, «I’ll allow you this. I’m still waiting for a proper answer, though.»

The vague hint of menace in Jinki’s words didn’t seem to affect Joonmyeon. «I must discuss this along with my pack members» he replied, calm. «This is not a decision that can be taken in a short time.»

«I’m afraid time is just what we lack» the hunter insisted. «We must capture a pregnant omega wolf in a month, or a very important business of ours will fail. I’ve already done my researches, and from what I gathered, your omegas are all dead, sterile or too immature to get pregnant.»

A pregnant omega wolf, Luhan repeated into his mind, scared. When he checked, he noticed that the jinn’s dark-contoured eyes were almost transfixed on him, staring.

He averted his gaze, shivers running down his spine.

«As long as your business doesn’t concern me, I can’t see why I should help you, honestly» Joonmyeon coldly stated, keeping a perfectly straight face in spite of his rage, «but I gave you my word, and I’ll discuss the thing properly with my pack members. I’m not a dictator, you see.»

Jinki smiled again, regaining back his initial arrogance. «Oh, sure, I see.» He turned, looking at the dark sky. «Night is falling» he said. «You’d better stop to get some rest. Our camp is over there. If you need something, just whistle.» And he smiled again, making Luhan feel like tearing away that smile from his face forcefully.

\---oOo---

The pack followed Jinki’s advice, stopping for the night. Minseok and  Yi Fan were on watch, while the betas prepared a campfire. After they settled down, they all curled up to get some sleep. They could smell the hunters from a little afar, laughing, drinking and making jokes around their own campfire.

Luhan, who wasn’t good at walking, was dead tired, and he fell asleep almost immediately.

Later, he was woken up by a sound. He didn’t move, trying to detect who was crying, and only when the wolf started speaking he finally managed to identify his voice. It was Sehun. «Jinki captured my mom» he was saying, his words coming out ragged and muffled, and when Luhan dared to glance towards him, he saw that he was sobbing in Tao’s chest, who never left him since he fell on the ground. «I saw it with my own eyes. I’ve never saw someone beat a female wolf so hard. I was the elder of my brothers, and they were still young pups who were nursing from their mother. I tried telling him and his henchmen, even if they looked so scary to me, but they just laughed in my face, saying they didn’t need a milk-stained pup but just an adult _female_ wolf. My mom was in a cage, in her wolf form, all bleeding and whining because of the attack, and I kept begging them. When I asked why they’d need to take my mom out of all people, they said that they wanted to sell her to a man who would have extracted an expensive medicine from her liver. My brothers died shortly after... they needed to nurse to survive, and I couldn’t find another pack in time to save them. I buried them one by one, it was heart-wrenching.» Sehun burst in tears, violent sobs shaking his body, while Tao held him tight.

«Don’t worry» the Chinese beta murmured, «Joonmyeon will protect you. Nothing bad will happen to us.»

«I don’t want to make a deal with them» Sehun cried, «I don’t want to see them. Joonmyeon is wrong, if he thinks they’ll respect the deal. They are the worst.»

Luhan closed his eyes again, trying not to listen. It was a private conversation, and he felt like an intruder. Slowly, though, Sehun’s sobs subsided, mingling into a completely different series of wet, suffocated sounds. He couldn’t resist and he peeked again, seeing that Tao was bent down in an uncomfortable position, actually kissing the younger beta’s lips with infinite gentleness. So he guessed right, after all. Sehun and Tao’s close relationship was something beyond friendship.

He curled up into a tight ball, trying to fight the cold and the loneliness that suddenly dug its claws deep into his heart.

He looked at the fire slowly dying, and doing so, he met Minseok’s bright eyes, staring at him from across the flame.

Their gazes locked, and his heartbeat went wild.

He rose onto his feet, moving to sit next to the alpha. «It’s okay if I keep you company, isn’t it?»

«I guess so» Minseok murmured, sounding somewhat bitter.

«I accidentally eavesdropped Sehun and Tao’s conversation» Luhan said. «Apparently, Sehun’s mother was kidnapped and killed by Jinki and his hunters. This is why he was so scared before.»

Minseok looked at him. «I didn’t know that, but it doesn’t surprise me. When we took him in the pack, he was wandering around, starving and disoriented. He was just fourteen, but he already showed the signs of the powerful beta he’d become.»

«So, Joonmyeon didn’t accept him into the pack just out of generosity?»

Luhan must have sounded a little disappointed, because the corner of Minseok’s lip curled upwards. «We’re wolves, Luhan» he said, matter-of-factly, «generosity isn’t part of our nature.»

«Then, I don’t want to be a wolf» Luhan said. «I hate the thought of turning into some bloodthirsty creature someday.»

The alpha stared at him. «This is not what I meant...»

«Look at me. Do I look like a werewolf, to you? I never shifted. I tried once, and it scared me so I stopped halfway and never completed the transformation. I hated the feeling of losing control. What if I’d have slaughtered my own mother, while I was in my true form? No, I couldn’t do it.»

He half-expected Minseok to get irritated for those harsh words, but when he glanced towards him he noticed that the alpha’s expression was full of concern. «Do you miss her? Your adoptive mother, I mean.»

Caught off guard, Luhan averted his gaze. «Yes» he admitted, «but not as much as I expected to.» It was as if his heart hardened, becoming less sensitive to pain. «Sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t be here.»

«You’re the best thing that happened into this pack since an eternity» Minseok whispered, his voice barely audible, his eyes red and bright because of the fire’s reflections.

«Why, because I saved your leader?»

«No» the alpha murmured, refusing to look at him. «Because you’re pure, honest and gentle. And because you made me realize that I am still able to feel.»

Luhan closed his eyes. Minseok was so near he could touch him just by lifting a finger, but he could feel Yi Fan’s hawk-like eyes on them, and he wasn’t so sure he could trust him. Minseok said to keep their relationship a secret, and he wanted to respect his wish.

Relationship, he thought. Could he really consider their weird bond like one?

«To feel what?» he asked, his cheeks burning up. «I can’t understand.»

«Oh, I think you can, because you feel it too. I can read it into your face.»

This was Luhan’s turn to lower his voice into a thin whisper. «Minseok, this is so scary» he admitted. «I feel so attracted to you, but this is not normal, is it? This is not how this kind of things should be. I don’t know you at all. I don’t even know why the pack seems to hate you, and I don’t even know why you told me to keep this whole thing a secret. It doesn’t make sense, and this is just... this is just so frightening that it’s driving me insane.»

He finally managed to say it, he thought. But in spite of it, his body kept having its unreasonable reactions because of the alpha’s proximity. He could feel his cock straining in his boxers, his skin tingling, willing to be touched. And his heart, hammering in his chest at a furious rhythm.

«Mates are like this, Luhan» Minseok said, after a long silence. «Mates are partners, fiancées, lovers, whatever you might want to call them, but their bond is strong and difficult to understand.»

«So this is what we are» Luhan murmured, astounded, «mates.»

Minseok nodded, fixating his gaze on the burning ashes. The fire died in front of them, and they were both shivering. Turning, Luhan could see that Sehun and Tao finally fell asleep, holding each other in a very intimate way.

For a second, he envied them. Apparently, they had all they needed. While he...

He flinched when he felt something brush against the hand he was keeping in his lap, but he froze when he realized it was just Minseok’s finger. «Don’t move» the alpha instructed him. «Yi Fan can’t see our hands from where he is. He’ll just think we’re talking, if you keep perfectly still.»

Luhan, though, was afraid he couldn’t do it. Just by touching his hand softly, Minseok was affecting him so much that he could barely breathe. «Minseok» he choked, «I wish I could lay somewhere with you and hold you close.»

«And I wish I could kiss you» the alpha added, «right now, on your lips. You’re so pretty, in the moonlight. I’m almost afraid to stare at you for too long, because I could lose my mind.»

He held Luhan’s fingers with his warm palm, and Luhan closed his eyes, overwhelmed. They were just touching, but the sensation itself was so powerful.

«My mate» he murmured, daring to raise his eyes to meet Minseok’s.

«My mate» Minseok repeated, his voice so gentle Luhan felt himself melting.

He stayed by him for a while, until Yi Fan approached them with swift footsteps and Minseok let go of his hand just in time not to get caught. «Time to switch places» the Chinese wolf announced, and he sat on Minseok’s spot, while the shorter alpha went to check the woods around.

Luhan stared at him. Yi Fan was someone he never talked to, but he had to admit he looked really formidable. He was tall and lean, thin as a stick, but his face, and above all his sharp eyes, gave off a very distinct impression of power. «You two seem to get along» the alpha suddenly stated, startling him, who wasn’t expecting him to talk.

«Uh... yeah» he replied, straightening his back. «He’s been nice to me since I came here.»

Yi Fan grunted, moving the fire brands with a stick. «You’d better pay attention, kid. All that glitters ain’t gold.»

Suddenly, Luhan found himself losing his temper. «You all keep warning me about him» he mumbled. «What did he do wrong, exactly?»

Yi Fan stared at him. «He killed an innocent wolf, kid. Satisfied?»

This is not what Luhan was expecting. «K-killed? As in... he took his life?»

The alpha shrugged. «I guess so. Killing means killing.»

Luhan’s mind went wild. He remembered how every single member of the pack seemed to ignore Minseok, or even pick on him for whatever he said. Their despise was evident, and it let show the hate underneath, which was just impossible to ignore.

Then, a sudden realization hit Luhan like a hammer.

«Who did he kill exactly?» he murmured. «Not... not Jongdae’s puppy?»

Yi Fan sighed. «Kid, it’s an old story. Our members are doing their very best to forget it. Are you sure you want to dig it up in a moment like this?»

But now that the seed of doubt had been planted into him, Luhan could already feel it grow. He remembered well the agonizing look in Jongdae’s face while he let him touch his scars. Could it be that Minseok was the responsible for them? But no... he said it were two of the Yitiao Langs. Minseok betrayed his own pack, then? Or was his fantasy just running excessively wild? He had no idea.

All he could think of, in that moment, was that he allowed Minseok to touch him, and that he conceded his body to him. And his virginity.

«Sorry» he murmured, standing on his shaky knees, «I don’t feel fine.»

«It’s okay, kid» Yi Fan told him, sounding tired, «you’re undergoing a lot of stress. Just go over there and relieve yourself, then try to get some sleep.»

Luhan nodded, because he couldn’t trust his voice enough to speak. He wobbled into some bushes, then he bent down, a bitter flavour in his throat, thinking that he could puke at any time. Eventually, the nausea subsided, and he managed to straighten up, trembling.

He felt the overwhelming need to cry. All those being mates bullshit... Minseok just teased him around, and he fell for it like an idiot.

This werewolves’ pack wasn’t much different from all the crap happening in school, after all. Luhan suddenly found the whole thing so funny he almost choked while laughing.

«Hello» a young-sounding voice told him, and when he turned, he saw a figure clad in black robes standing above of him. It was the jinn, and he was staring at him with those piercing, ancient eyes of his.

«Shouldn’t... shouldn’t you be with the hunters?»

Taemin shrugged. «They let me wander at my liking.» He reached out and touched Luhan’s hair. «Nice colour» he said, running a finger along the terrified omega’s nose. «Very beautiful. You would be very admired, back in the place and time I come from. Wolves were venerated like gods, back then.»

«Uh... thanks» Luhan murmured, but he was trembling so much that his words came out confused, and Taemin just retrieved his hand, his expression turning a little grim.

«Us creatures of darkness really like things like you, which shine of a pure white light» the jinn said, and Luhan thought that his words sounded somehow sad.

«Did Jinki capture you too?» he asked.

Taemin shot him a mischievous look. «No. We made a deal. Do you like deals? I like them a lot.» He talked like a child, and it could have been cute, if his power wasn’t so suffocating.

«Uh... I don’t know.»

«Let me suggest one. I could not tell Jinki you’re pregnant, so he will go after the Yitiao Langs as in his original plan, and you might give me something in exchange.»

Luhan’s heart sank. «I’m not pregnant» he stuttered, «I took a medicine...»

Taemin shook his head. «Those are never infallible, you know. I can smell the scent of a recent mating, well, two recent matings all over you. Uh, and apparently with two different alphas even! You’ve been a little busy recently, haven’t you?»

Luhan’s whole world seemed to crash down and fell over him. «This... I’m sure you are wrong...» How could Taemin know about those details? Was he just guessing, or could he sense those things for real?

He had to calm down. He took Yixing’s pill, a little late, yes, but he took it, so everything was alright. It _had_ to be alright, otherwise...

The jinn’s hand came to touch his belly, and Luhan yelped, because the jinn’s skin was hot, as if he was made of burning fire. «No mistake» he said, «I can feel it. It’s still smaller than a pea, but I am sure there’s a puppy inside of here. Congrats, soon you’ll be a dad.»

Luhan was frantic. Whose puppy was that? Joonmyeon’s? Or... the only perspective was scary enough.

«Uh-oh» the jinn said, mischievous, «I wasn’t wrong, then. You mated secretly with someone, and now you’re in big trouble.»

«Oh God, oh my God.» Luhan pressed his hands over his mouth. «What did I do?»

Taemin was having an immense fun. «I might help you getting rid of it» he suggested, «but since it’s a difficult magic, you must think or a very good reward for me.»

«No, no» Luhan protested. «I could never do something like that.» _But it might solve the problem at its very root_ , an uncomfortable voice whispered in a corner of his mind, _you’re too young to be a father, aren’t you?_

«Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.»

«You’re so entertaining» Taemin cooed, beyond happy. «Why are you here getting crazy while you could just use this pregnancy to get more power? Since the puppy might be Joonmyeon’s... you could aspire as becoming his legitimate mate, since his old one is sterile. And a pack leader which can’t have any descendants, well...» Taemin smirked, and Luhan now could fully see the centuries of wickedness that he carried along. 

«No» he weakly said, «I won’t do anything like that. I don’t even know if you’re speaking the truth, honestly.» And he actually started breathing with more ease. He got so worked up about something that he had yet to confirm. Maybe Taemin smelled, or kind of guessed he had something to hide, and he just had a very good time teasing him around. As if it wasn’t already enough, finding out about Minseok’s dark past all in the same night.

Taemin grinned at him. «I never lie, wolf.»

«I can’t be sure of that.»

Taemin stepped forward, now so near that Luhan had to fight back with all his power not to turn on his heels and run away like a rabbit. «I could tell you the future, if you want» the jinn said, lowering his voice in a husky whisper.

«I don’t want to hear it» Luhan whimpered, but Taemin’s hot hand came to cup his cheek, and it made his breath hitch.

«Are you sure?»

No, he wasn’t the least bit sure, but he pushed the demon away, gasping. He turned and ran towards the camp.

«What’s wrong?» Yi Fan asked him, when Luhan almost bumped into him, but the omega just ran, unable to stop.

Then, a hand grabbed him by his elbow, and he let out a sharp cry. «Luhan» Jongdae said, «stop. What happened? Did someone hurt you?»

Luhan was so relieved to see the other omega that he just threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Without asking further, Jongdae held him, drawing soothing circles on his back. «Hush, it’s okay now. Come sit with me.»

Luhan did as he was told, accepting the bottle of water that Jongdae handed to him. He almost cleared half of it in a gulp, and then he looked at the other omega through glassy eyes. «Where are the others?»

«Over there» Jongdae replied. «They were waiting for you to start discussing Jinki’s offer. Where were you?»

«I was... nevermind. I needed some time alone.»

Jongdae gently took his hand, slowly dragging him to the pack. They barely noticed Luhan’s arrival, since they were all immersed in a tense discussion.

Chanyeol was speaking. «Honestly I don’t know what you had in your mind,  Joonmyeon, when you didn’t turn down Jinki immediately. They’re targeting a pregnant omega... how coward is that?»

«I didn’t agree nor disagree, Chanyeol» the pack leader reminded him. «I just wanted to talk to you all before taking my decision.»

«The Yitiao Langs are more than us, but they don’t have many omegas in the pack» the alpha went on. «During the War of Blood, we lost one of our omegas and we never found him, nor dead nor alive.»

«Chanyeol» Joonmyeon sighed.

«Joonmyeon, there’s a chance this pregnant omega is my Baekhyun, you know. I know it’s been a lot of time, but something gives me the feeling that he’s not dead.»

The leader shook his head. «We already talked about this, Chanyeol...»

«Please, listen to me» the alpha insisted. «I know Yixing, Yi Fan and Tao said they never saw him among the  Yitiao Langs, but what if they kept him hidden somewhere. We never found his dead body. I’m sure he’s alive...»

«Chanyeol» Joonmyeon whispered, «stop deluding yourself, or you’ll only end up to hurt more.»

For a moment, the tall alpha kept silent, tears glistening in his eyes. So much pain, Luhan thought, everyone was bearing so much pain. Why had it to be like that? It was so unfair. Why couldn’t they just live peacefully?

Slowly, he raised his gaze, seeing that Minseok was staring at him, looking concerned. Did he sense that something was wrong? But how could he trust him after what Yi Fan told him previously?

Chanyeol, though, was still insisting. «Besides of that, are you seriously suggesting to ally with Jinki and his henchmen? We can’t allow them to kill an innocent omega. Not even if he’s a Yitiao Lang.»

«I never told anything like that» Joonmyeon angrily retorted. «I was just gaining some time.»

«I disagree, then» Chanyeol said. «I strongly disagree with forming an alliance with the hunters.»

Joonmyeon proposed a voting. «Who agrees with Chanyeol?»

Slowly, all the wolves raised their hands. Sehun said nothing, but he kept his gaze downcast, and Luhan noticed that his eyes were red. He had been crying a lot.

«Fine, then» Joonmyeon said, «we’ll refuse the deal. But let me suggest a way of turning the events at our favour.»

The wolves stared at their leader, unable to imagine a way of walking hand in hand with people who killed magical creatures for a living.

«We could just let them believe we agreed with them» Joonmyeon murmured, lowering his voice to a whisper. «They ignore we already formed an alliance with the witches’ coven. We’ll use them to arrive safely to the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters, then we’ll let them slaughter each other. I’m sure Yoona and her sisters are powerful enough to trap a demon, even if ancient and dangerous like Taemin. This will grant us the possibility to win over the Yitiao Langs, once for all. While they’ll be busy to protect their omega, we’ll burst into their den and we’ll ask their leader to surrender. The witches will take care of the demon and of their runaway sister, and without the demon, I don’t think Jinki and those three humans will be able to win over a legion of wolves.»

The pack silently examined Joonmyeon’s plan. It sounded frail and very dangerous. 

«There are plenty of things who could go wrong» Kai tried to object. «And we aren’t even sure the witches will keep their word.»

«They will» Joonmyeon said, solemn. «They helped us. Now they are expecting something in exchange. They won’t back off.»

The wolves kept expressing their doubts and worries for long, until Luhan started dozing off on Jongdae’s shoulder, who just swung an arm around his shoulders and held him close.

The assembly was dismissed at the first lights of the day. Luhan woke up in a grim mood, shivering because of the cold, since Jongdae asked him to get rid of Minseok’s jacket, because he couldn’t stand its stench. He wore it again, though, since he had nothing else to keep himself warm.

Thankfully, his mind felt clearer. He was pretty sure, by now, that Taemin’s words were just to tease him, since he felt good and, how could he put it?, perfectly _normal_. He was sure he would have realized, if he was pregnant. Some difference must have shown since the beginning, right? So, he concluded it was just some cruel teasing the demon inflicted to him just to have some fun.

He was washing his face with a wet rag, wishing he could take a bath, when Minseok approached him. «Are you okay?» he asked, pretending he was helping him packing his stuff, «what happened yesterday? You looked shaken.»

Luhan didn’t look at him in the face. «I wasn’t feeling fine» he lied. «I think I ate something that made me sick.»

«Did someone tell you something about me?»

Luhan shook his head. «No.»

Daringly, Minseok reached out to grab his wrist. «You didn’t looked at me even once, during the meeting. What happened?»

«Let me go» Luhan murmured, «please.»

Minseok looked hurt. «You don’t have to believe what they said» he whispered. «They weren’t there. They don’t know what happened.»

«Minseok...»

«Luhan, look at me. Please.»

The omega raised his gaze, meeting Minseok’s eyes. He always liked them, their shape, their colour, and above all the absolute honesty they let show.

«I’d never lie to you» Minseok insisted. «It was an accident.»

«Just... just tell me who he was.» _Please, don’t let him be Jongdae’s pup. I couldn’t stand it._

Minseok stared back at him, troubled. «I can’t. But you have to believe me. Please.»

Luhan was starting to protest, when Sehun barged in, pushing Minseok away. «Let him be, dog. Mind your own business.»

Minseok walked away, but when Luhan saw the expression on his face, he felt drowning in guilt. He didn’t want him to be so distressed because of something he said. This was definitely something they needed to talk about together... but when, and how? Now that they were in the woods, they had much less privacy than in the villa.

Sehun swung his arm over Luhan’s shoulders. «Annoying, isn’t he? Come, Kyungsoo made breakfast. Just porridge, though, no fancy stuff to fill our stomachs today.»

For a moment, the temptation to ask Sehun was so strong that Luhan almost opened his mouth to speak. It would have been the easiest thing in the world, asking the young beta if Minseok was really the one who killed Jongdae’s puppy... but at the end he kept his lips tightly shut.

This was something he needed to verify on his own.


	6. Six

Luhan was having a very nice dream. He was with Minseok, laying over soft grass under the stars. They were hugging, staring at the sky, and they were talking softly. He was feeling good, at peace.

When he woke up, he found himself wishing he could resume the dream. It left behind a lingering sweetness, something that he deeply craved for himself.

After the pack’s meeting, Joonmyeon and Jinki had a talk, and the two agreed on forming a temporary alliance just to slay the Yitiao Langs together. As a sign of gratitude, the hunters signalled to them an abandoned building they could occupy as a temporary headquarters, just to settle in to study a proper plan for their attack. When they arrived there, Luhan was happy to see it really was a house, but at a second glance, its severe lines and a certain gloominess about the whole structure made him believe that it could be some sort of abandoned military base or an old hospital. And when they entered it, they found just nude walls, without a single piece of furniture. Everything had been stolen or burnt up, and the signs of some recent camping were evident. Luhan was scared by that enormous building and its dark hallways full of whispers, but he was so tired he just accepted to lay down in a small room next to the one occupied by Kai and Kyungsoo.

Surprisingly enough, the collaboration with the hunters went smoothly. The humans made their food supplies, medicines and weapons available for everyone, and Jinki arranged for a huge supplying of silver bullets to be delivered right in that place. The delivery, though, encountered some obstacles, because they’ve been struck there for a while, waiting for it. It was too risky attacking the Yitiao Langs without silver, and it was even more dangerous changing headquarters, since now their movements and their newly formed alliance had surely been noticed by the enemy. Since their encounter with the hunters, Luhan thought that two months passed already, but he couldn’t be sure because the continuous boredom made him lose track of time.

That night, Minseok was on watch again, this time with Chanyeol, and  Luhan’s feelings towards him were still confused. Lately, he had been spending most of his time with Sehun and Tao, or with Jongdae, with whom he got along really well. The ex-military base was spacious and it was full of corners and little places to hide, but Luhan didn’t want his newly made friends to find out about his relationship with Minseok. He’d been trying to avoid him, frankly... but he just couldn’t.

What Yi Fan revealed to him was always on his mind. Was he supposed to believe him? Was he not? Probably, the easier solution would have been imitating the other wolves’ attitude, ignoring or even treating Minseok badly. But he just couldn’t resolve to do it. That unexplainable energy that kept drawing Luhan towards the alpha was always there, dragging him, pushing him. Minseok called it a magnetic force, once, but Luhan thought it wasn’t a powerful enough definition.

It was more like a wave, or a landslide. Something that could have crushed him at any moment.

It was still dark but he couldn’t sleep, so he approached the window and, leaning his elbows over the cold windowsill, he stared outside. In the yard, he caught a glimpse of the familiar long shape of Chanyeol, who was checking the silent woods. Not far from him, one of the hunters was smoking a cigarette. Luhan believed his name was Jonghyun.

He couldn’t see Minseok anywhere and, feeling suddenly worried, he strained his neck to check if he was okay.

«Were you looking for me?»

He turned, relieved to see the alpha closing the door behind his back, showing him that gummy smile he found so attractive. Luhan smiled back, opening his arms wide to hug Minseok. He couldn’t remember the last time they had the chance to do that, and he clutched the alpha to himself, holding him tightly.

«What’s wrong?» Minseok asked. «Something happened?»

«Nothing» he murmured, pressing his face into the juncture of his shoulder and neck, «but I missed you so much.»

Minseok’s hand came to caress the back of Luhan’s head, while he kissed his forehead sweetly. «I missed you too» he admitted. «You were always there, and I could just reach out and touch you... but there were always people around, and I couldn’t. It’s been torture.»

Luhan sighed, inhaling deeply the alpha’s scent. «I know what you mean.»

Since they came into the military base, they managed to exchange only quick kisses and hugs, and they never got the chance to have a proper talk. Luhan knew they still needed to discuss about Minseok’s past, but it was so rare, holding each other like that without anyone peering, that now that he had him in his arms he just couldn’t let go of him.

Their lips slided against each other, meeting in a gentle but demanding kiss.  Minseok’s hands travelled lower, sneaking underneath Luhan’s shirt to touch his bare skin. He shivered, pulling the alpha’s body closer and rocking his hips lightly.

He wanted him so much.

The kiss deepened, while Minseok licked his way into Luhan’s mouth. His scent, his strong body, drove Luhan crazy. He could feel himself getting already wet between his legs, anticipating what would have come next. He’d wanted Minseok to fuck him right there, standing against that cold wall, but he had the feeling they had no time for anything like that. His room had no lock, and they couldn’t risk to get caught naked together.

He whimpered when Minseok’s fingers went past the hem of his pants, sneaking under the elastic of his boxers and brushing against his sparse curls. He arched against him when he touched his cock, grabbing it at the base, and he moaned onto the alpha’s lips, that immediately came to capture his.

It was hot, it was quick, it was dirty. And he loved it so much.

He rocked against the alpha’s hand, but his pants were too tight and he found the contact unsatisfying. «Let’s do it like this» he whispered, humping against Minseok’s crotch, «I like it.»

Minseok pushed him against the wall, retrieving his hand and pressing their bodies flush against each other. «I like it too» he revealed, before meeting Luhan’s movements, sharing his same urgency. They kissed again, tongues dancing, lips sliding against sweat-slickened skin. They came fast, not daring to voice out their release. Luhan let himself fall limp against the alpha, letting his strong arms hold him to prevent him from falling on the ground. His knees felt like mush.

«You’ll need to clean up, I’m afraid» Minseok panted, out of breath, «or they’re going to smell me all over you.»

Luhan hugged him, resting his damp forehead over his hard shoulder. Minseok’s hand rose to stroke his hair. «I’m so sorry, Luhan» he murmured.

«We still... we still need to do that talk, you know» the omega whispered, his voice cracking because of the waves of pleasure still running through his body. «But people keep interrupting us... and we act like horny teenagers when we’re alone.»

Minseok sighed. «I know, right? I’m so sorry.»

«Don’t be» Luhan purred against his neck, «it’s been amazing.»

They kissed another time, then Minseok turned his head to yawn. «Go get some sleep» Luhan murmured, caressing his face with his fingertips. «You are exhausted.»

«Yeah» the alpha approved, «I’ll go, now.»

«They keep giving you the longest watches» Luhan added, «they’re so mean to you.»

Minseok nuzzled in the crook of his neck, and Luhan thought he looked young and vulnerable, when he did that. The more he got to know him, the least he believed he could be the killer of Jongdae’s poor puppy. He was so gentle and caring. He was sure it had been just a misunderstanding.

They kissed one last time, then the alpha left for real, and Luhan remained alone. He went to get a quick wash, since they kept a supply of clean water in a small room at the end of the hallway, then he got back into the room.

When he curled up in his improvised bed, this time, warm and secretly happy, he fell asleep almost immediately.

\---oOo---

«Add some salt in the pot, please, then come here: I need you to cut the potatoes.»

«Okay» Luhan replied, grabbing a spoon and stirring carefully the contents of the big pot bubbling over the campfire that the hunters set in a hidden corner of the yard. Joonmyeon wasn’t fond of lighting fires outside, since the enemy could easily spot them, but Jinki retorted, rather nervously, that it wasn’t much important, since the Yitiao Langs surely already knew about their new headquarters by then. The head hunter was very worried, since his silver was late, and according to him, this was very unusual. «My suppliers are faithful and they never fail me» he said, «I really can’t understand what happened this time.»

This given, though, Kyungsoo was still the cook of the group. The hunters, actually, weren’t specialized in catching magical creatures only, but they provided always fresh meat from the woods. Luhan had been a little taken aback by the first poor rabbits and pheasants, but after a while he got used to it, and even to Kyungsoo’s apparent lack of fuss in skinning and eviscerating the preys. Now he even helped him, sometimes, alone with the hunter called Kibum.

The stew had an unusual strong smell, though, and he covered his nose with his hand while stirring.

«What’s wrong?» Kyungsoo asked, staring at him, «you look pale.»

«I’m okay» Luhan replied. «How big am I supposed to cut the potatoes?»

«In medium-sized chunks, just like this.» The omega showed him. «But are you sure you can do it?»

«Sure that I can!» Luhan protested. «Why?»

The other omega kept looking at him, now rather worriedly. «It’s only that... you look very pale, almost greenish I’d say.»

Luhan was starting to shake his head to deny, but now the stew’s smell was really unbearable to him. He covered his mouth with his palm, while his stomach contracted. He barely managed to pull away from the camp kitchen that he retched violently, vomiting on the ground.

«What’s wrong with him?» Kibum asked, his eyebrows knitted.

«I have no idea» Kyungsoo admitted, running to Luhan to rub his back while he vomited. «He looked fine just a few minutes ago.»

«He must have eaten something that made him sick» the hunter said. «Come sit here, Luhan, I’ll prepare you something that will help you.»

Luhan did as he was told, while Kibum went grabbing some fresh leaves of mint and honeybalm from the wood, putting them in boiling water to make a hot tea for him. He tried drinking a few sips of it, but it made everything even worse.

«I think it’s better if we call Yixing» Kyungsoo said, now more than just a little worried. «It could be a stomach flu.»

He helped him on his feet, since Luhan was feeling terribly weak and wobbly, and he accompanied him into Yixing’s improvised office, where he kept a small cot for those who felt sick and all his medicines and herbs. «Do you want me to stay with you?» Kyungsoo asked Luhan, looking uneasy. «I might entrust Kibum with the cooking, but I don’t know if he can take care of my stew.»

«Don’t worry, Kyungsoo, I’ll take care of him.»

Gently, Yixing helped Luhan lay down on the small cot. «Now I’ll perform a check» he explained, when they remained alone, «I’ll look for any unbalance in your chakras to restore your energy. I’m sure you’ll be okay soon. Close your eyes.»

Luhan complied, feeing Yixing’s warm fingertips press over his forehead, then on his solar plexus, then lower, prodding around his belly. And there, the healer’s hands stopped, touching him carefully, as if he was afraid to break something. «Since when have you been feeling like this?» Yixing asked.

«I don’t know... about one week, I guess, but never as bad as today.»

Something about Yixing sudden hesitation felt weird to him, so he opened his eyes, and he noticed that the healer was staring at him, fingers still touching gently around his lower abdomen. «Uh... Yixing? That’s not the part that hurts.»

«Luhan, listen to me. I think you might be pregnant.»

The omega stared back at the healer, refusing to take in that sentence. Then, slowly, he started collecting dots.

The pill. That goddamn pill. Also, he never went into heat again, after that time. The nausea, especially when he woke up or around lunchtime.

Yixing bent down, trying to be as delicate as he could. «Luhan, I might need some further examination, but I’m pretty sure of it. You are showing all the symptoms. I think you’re with child.»

Luhan couldn’t believe his own ears, and his mind was lost in a blur. Pregnant? It couldn’t be. Taemin couldn’t have been right, that time, he was just saying bullshit. He was sure of that. There must be some mistake.

Yixing was staring at him, pale. «The second pill I gave you» he asked, «you took it right after I sent it to you?»

But the demon’s words were already ringing in Luhan’s ears. _These are never infallible, you know. I can smell the scent of a recent mating, well, two recent matings all over you. Uh, and apparently with two different alphas even! You’ve been a little busy recently, haven’t you?_

«Oh my God» he breathed, before bolting to stand, eyes wide and mouth agape. «Oh my God, no. No... it can’t be.»

«Calm down» Yixing told him, grabbing him by his wrist and trying to pull him down again, «I said I’ll need some further examination to be sure. Don’t fret, okay? Breathe. Calm down.»

But Luhan was panicking. Whose child was that? Minseok? Or... he couldn’t even contemplate the hypothesis.

It couldn’t be Joonmyeon’s pup, it just couldn’t.

He felt nauseous again, and he whimpered when Yixing pressed him quite roughly on the bed. «Stay still and take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.»

He thoughtlessly obeyed, managing to steady his heartbeat, but when he saw Yixing’s expression, his eyes filled up with tears. «I’ve been so stupid» he murmured, with a tiny, miserable voice.

«No» the healer bitterly murmured, «we’ve all been. We should have supported and helped you much more than what we did, but we were so ashamed we could barely look at you. This is our fault, Luhan, for leaving you alone.»

Luhan cried, while Yixing caressed his hair soothingly. His hands unknowingly came to touch his belly, as to protect what was growing inside of it.

Yixing sighed softly. «What do you want me to do?» he asked. «Shall I tell Joonmyeon?»

Luhan cringed in horror. «No» he gasped. «No, please, don’t do that.»

«But Luhan» Yixing insisted gently, «we need to protect you, now.»

«Protect?»

«Yeah... from the hunters. They’re looking for a pregnant omega, remember? We definitely need to ask Joonmyeon for advice. I think you might be around three months... it won’t be long until it will start to show. And then...» he sat on the cot next to him, caressing his face almost in a motherly way, «Luhan, Joonmyeon needs to know that his pup is growing inside of you.»

Luhan’s tears kept rolling down his cheeks, unstoppable. He couldn’t tell Yixing he didn’t mate with just one alpha, that night... and that the puppy he was bearing could be Joonmyeon’s as well as Minseok’s. Yixing seemed to be the one, in the pack, who didn’t treat Minseok like a rabid dog, but he couldn’t risk telling him he’d been lying to them for all that time. And also, how could Minseok take an explosive news like that? The truth was that he didn’t know him enough to guess his reaction.

His heart sank.

Yixing was still caressing him. «Luhan, I know you’re in a difficult situation, but believe me, nobody is going to be mad at you. Not even Jongdae... you’ve grown so attached to each other, lately, I’m sure he will support you, even if it will be difficult at first. And Joonmyeon will take care of you the best that he can.»

Luhan suddenly remembered that Taemin, that night, told him something else.

_Since the puppy might be Joonmyeon’s... you could aspire as becoming his legitimate mate, since his old one is sterile. And a pack leader which can’t have any descendants, well..._

But he wasn’t like that. He wasn’t a social climber and he didn’t care about power. Also, the mere thought of sharing a bed, or even something that could resemble a marriage or a committed relationship with Joonmyeon made him cringe so badly he could have started screaming.

He felt like a bad person just for letting those thought take form in his mind.

«I think...» he croaked, «I think I need some time. Please, don’t tell anyone until I’ve cleared my mind. Just tell the others I got a bug or something, pretend I need some medications and let me stay here for tonight.»

Yixing nodded, his eyes full of pity. «Sure.»

Luhan sighed, his head hurting for all that crying. «Isn’t there another... nevermind.»

«What?» Yixing gently urged him.

«Isn’t there another way for getting out of this situation?»

The healer frowned. «Luhan...»

«I don’t... I know nothing about it, but couldn’t I just...»

Yixing shook his head, trying not to let his aversion show. «You said you needed some time» he murmured, «and I agree. But please, think carefully about these kind of things. I’m sure this puppy has been conceived in the worst situation possible, but I don’t think he has any...»

He stopped, because Luhan started crying again, this time so violently the sobs were coming out along with small stifled cries. This time, Yixing reached out for him and held him tightly until he calmed down, laying down exhausted.

The healer prepared him a medicine to help him sleep, something that wouldn’t affect his delicate state, and then he just sat, watching as Luhan’s eyelids grew heavy and the omega closed his eyes, drifting into sleep.

He was so young, he thought... and before knowing them, he was also innocent and happy.

What did they become? Yixing didn’t have an answer for that question. He felt guilty and miserable just thinking about it.

\---oOo---

Luhan was still in Yixing’s office, sitting on the cot trying to get a hold of himself, when he heard a rattling noise against the only window of the small room. When he looked, he saw  Minseok waving at him behind the glass.

His lips curved into a smile before he could help it. He shakily rose onto his feet while the alpha rushed through the door, pulling him in a bruising hug. «Kyungsoo told you’re sick» he panted, «how are you feeling now?»

For a moment, Luhan just savoured the feeling of his arms around him. Minseok’s hug felt so safe that he just leaned his head over his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

Minseok looked at him in the face, and he slowly took in his puffy eyes and devastated expression. «Luhan» he asked, worried, «what’s happening?»

Luhan looked at him, right into his honest, black eyes. The temptation of spilling everything was so strong, but he managed to keep it at bay. «Nothing important» he replied, attempting a smile. «I just got very sick and I got a little scared about it. I guess I’m still a little kid, when it’s about this kind of matters.»

Minseok didn’t look convinced, but he reached out to stroke his face nonetheless. «You need to take better care of yourself» he murmured. «What did Yixing say?»

«That it’s just a stomach flu, and it will heal on its own.» Luhan was feeling bad for the lies he was telling him. He might be the father of his puppy, for God’s sake. He needed to know... but he couldn’t tell. Not before knowing if he was really involved in Jongdae’s accident. He couldn’t stand the thought that one of the possible fathers of his pup could be an assassin.

His pup, he thought. How did he get so easily used to thinking about it in those terms?

«About that matter...» he started, feeling the tension gather in Minseok’s body just at that hint. «I know I keep insisting, Minseok, but I really need to know. Why does the pack hate you?»

The alpha looked at him. «Do you want to talk about it now?»

«Yes» Luhan replied, feeling strangely numb, «now. Sorry, but I can’t take it anymore. I love you, but all this secrecy is killing me. I can’t stand it anymore.»

He saw Minseok’s mouth gaping, and he braced himself for what was about to come. He basically confessed to him, did the alpha realize? They never talked about love, before, maybe because none of them was ready to face the truth. Thinking of that whole situation as some weird energy, some uncontrollable force pushing them together was way easier, and it felt less involving.

«Luhan...»

«Yi Fan said that you killed a wolf» he insisted, unable to stop now that he finally managed to voice out his heart. «You said it was an accident and a misunderstanding. I want to know the truth, now. I’m sick of secrets.»

Minseok was so pale he looked like he could faint. «Please, don’t be like this.»

And Luhan snapped. «Why? Why you don’t want to tell me? Because you lied to me, by chance?»

«No, no, I swear, it’s not that, but...»

Luhan grabbed him by his elbows. «I have to make an important decision» he stated. «And you have to tell me. Now.»

«What important decision?»

Luhan’s eyes were filling with tears again. «Did you do it? Did you kill a wolf for real? A Neugdae?»

Minseok stared back at him, desolated. He opened his mouth and then he closed it, averting his eyes. If he could, Luhan would scream. «So it’s true» he whispered, «it’s true, and you’ve been lying to me for all this time.»

The alpha shook his head slowly, but he kept his mouth closed. Luhan grimaced. «Get out of here» he said. «Now. I don’t want to see you.»

He looked at the floor, because he didn’t want to see the hurt in Minseok’s eyes. He was the one who was hurting the most, in that moment.

\---oOo---

He was sitting alone, in a pitch-dark room, his black cloak camouflaging in the darkness as if he was a part of the night itself.

«I knew you’d have come» the demon said, grinning. «I was waiting for you. Is your puppy okay?»

Luhan glared at him, but Taemin just chuckled. «Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything to the hunters. I’d make it too easy for them, and it won’t be fun.»

«I don’t have time for this bullshit» Luhan growled, and for a second he _felt_ he was a real werewolf, and that he really could have turned into a beast if only he had wanted to.

«Wow» Taemin said, looking at him more closely. «You look changed. Apparently, being pregnant did good to you.»

Luhan grabbed him by his collar, and the demon’s eyes flashed red. «I won’t do it, if I were in you, kid» Taemin whispered, but then his breath hitched when the wolf showed something to him, catching his attention.

«You said you like things which shine of a white light» he said. In his hand, he was holding one of the crystals he got in the old mansion the pack occupied before moving. «If I give you this, will you tell me the truth about Minseok?»

Taemin grabbed the crystal, holding it on his palm as if it was the most precious thing he had in his life. «Are you sure you really want to know? This might be unpleasant.»

«I don’t care» Luhan replied, realizing just then that his left hand was leaning on his abdomen, as to  protect his still minuscule son. «I’m ready.»

Taemin’s lips curved into a devious smile.


	7. Seven

The way Taemin kept playing with the crystal, holding it so that it could capture the very few light in the room was slightly disturbing, especially because the demon’s eyes didn’t glisten when the reflections hit them. He was a creature of evil, and Luhan was alone with him.

He stepped back, suddenly afraid he did something terribly wrong.

«Already regretting your own decision, wolf?» the demon teased him.

Luhan breathed deeply. «No.»

Taemin chuckled again, making shivers run down his spine. «Well, your darling actually _did_ something despicable» he said, «but you’re far from guessing it right.»

Luhan stared at him, his heartbeat speeding up. The jinn kept playing with the crystal, delighting at the small rainbow-coloured sparks it radiated. «Come on, make me laugh. Make some assumptions.»

«You... you are the most annoying...»

«Yeah, I’m an old and evil thing, I know the drill. Come on.»

Luhan swallowed the insults on the tip of his tongue. Apparently, getting angry at Taemin wouldn’t bring anywhere, and he needed his answers. «So... I guess he didn’t kill Jongdae’s puppy?»

Taemin yawned. «Oh, so that was your main worry? Boring. You’re predictable and uninteresting, just like the others. I was hoping you could provide me some real fun, but apparently I was wrong.»

Luhan was actually trembling with the effort of keeping calm. Now he fully understood what Sehun meant, that day, when he was teaching him how to shift: now that he was angered and feeling aggravated, he could really feel the presence of a beast pacing up and down, caged inside of himself. How could it feel letting it out?

«Fine. Then, Baekhyun? Chanyeol’s mate?»

Taemin scoffed. «Nope. Try harder.»

Luhan gritted his teeth. «I haven’t been in the pack for long, demon. I don’t know well who was there before. You can’t make me guess what  I ignore.»

«You’re not very smart, aren’t you?» Taemin teased him. «If he didn’t kill someone you know, then he actually did kill someone you don’t know, as simple as it is.»

Luhan sighed. «Fine. And who is it?»

Taemin pretended to think about it. «Hmm. I could tell you in a flash» he mused, «but I could keep you hanging for a while instead. Which option would be more amusing?»

Luhan closed his eyes. He didn’t want to beg that bundle of wickedness. He considered urging him further, but he had the feeling it wouldn’t be of any use, so he just kept silent, trying to be patient.

«You’re tougher than you look» Taemin said, after what felt like an eternity. «Way tougher.»

«A name, Taemin. It’s all I’m asking for. A fucking name.»

The demon suddenly pulled in a standing position, and Luhan stepped back further, because he never realized how tall the demon actually was. He looked big and frightening, like that, and he suddenly thought that he was trapped in a room with him, with a harmless puppy in his belly.

Slowly, Taemin bent down to meet the terrified omega’s eyes.

«Not _one_ name» he stated, slowly.

«What?»

«Not just one. He killed many, even if indirectly. He provoked a real massacre.»

Luhan’s breathing quickened again. «Explain» he whispered.

Taemin’s eyes were pitch black, but fire was burning deep inside of them. His hands, lithe and white, looked like bones in the darkness. «He was friends with the Yitiao Langs’ leader. Childhood friend. They were together, one day, when a silver bullet coming from nowhere hit the Chinese wolf. Minseok was accused of being the killer, hence the War of Blood.»

Luhan’s heart sank. «But... but he was there, right? He couldn’t have been the one who shot.»

Taemin kept staring at him in that disturbing way. «He wasn’t, but nobody believed him, since they were alone and there were no witnesses. Everybody knew about his relationship with the Chinese wolves’ leader, even if the packs were already rivals, and the Neugdaes were immediately accused of murder. So, without letting them the time to react, the Yitiao Langs came at night and massacred the pack.»

«He was accused to be the one who caused the War of Blood» Luhan slowly concluded, feeling dizzy. Finally he could understand why everybody was so mean to  Minseok. To them, he was the one who ruined them. «But he could never demonstrate he wasn’t the one who killed the Chinese leader, right?»

Taemin nodded. «Precisely. And your little furry friends weren’t much willing to listen to his whines.»

As terrible as that news was, Luhan felt strangely relieved. So Minseok didn’t really kill anyone. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong moment... he always knew, he thought. He always believed him, in a corner of him mind. Still, though, he talked to him in that harsh way...

«I need to see him» he murmured, «I need to see him now, and apologize.»

«Has my turn to make questions come?» Taemin suddenly asked, excited.

Luhan cringed. «Uh... yes.»

«Why did you come here to ask me such uninteresting things about the past, when you could just ask about the identity of your puppy’s father?»

Luhan felt his eyes swell. «I...» he began, his chest tight. «I don’t know.»

«Wolves» the demon grumbled, unsatisfied with his answer, «I’d never understand you.»

«Can you tell me?» Luhan asked, hopeful, but Taemin broke into a laugh.

«Nope, wolf, unless you have something to repay me for this information.»

«Nevermind» Luhan murmured, approaching the door. «I’ll come another time, then.»

But Taemin was too busy playing with his crystal to listen. The omega stared at him, thinking that the demon looked somewhat pitiful, all engrossed in a tiny thing like that, and he was about to leave when he heard something.

He didn’t realize what it was at first, because it sounded like a thunder rumbling far away, or a faint rattling sound. When he looked, though, he noticed that Taemin’s lips were moving slightly, and that the demon’s eyes were turning red.

«What was that?» Luhan asked, scared.

«We’re attacked» Taemin replied, and contrary to every possible thing he could say, he _smiled_.

Luhan left hurriedly, running away in the corridor. Now he could hear it: gunshots, screams.

The Yitiao Langs, he thought, terrified. They came to kill them all.

The pack was on red alert. From upstairs, where he still was, Luhan could see the wolves as well as the hunters running to get every weapon available.

«Luhan!» Sehun yelled at him from the bottom of the stairs, «Luhan!»

Something crashed through a window’s glass, and the young beta barely managed to get down not to get hit. When he saw the bullet rolling on the floor, he knelt down and checked it. «It’s silver» he breathed. «We’re fucked.»

A girl wearing black was standing by the door. «Yep, they have silver» she stated, «and they are the  Yitiao Langs. We already checked.»

«But just a few members of them» another girl added, holding a wooden wand. «Just a small commando.»

Tao reached Sehun, grabbing him as to protect him from the unexpected arrival of the witches. The wolves stared at them, stunned. They were all cute and young, and all wearing various black outfits which made them all look similar. It almost looked like they came out right from a fashion magazine’s pages.

A tiny droplet of blood trailing down his temple, Joonmyeon bared his fangs. «What does it mean?» he growled.

Walking in like a diva, Yoona made her grand appearance.

«Hello, Joonmyeon. Are you perhaps a magnet for disgrace? You just got better and you are already in the middle of a huge mess.»

The pack leader stared at her venomously. «What the hell is happening?»

«Are you deaf? The Yitiao Langs attacked you. Apparently, they dislike your new little friends. As do us, honestly, but we’ll ignore your pitiful attempt to safeguard yourself.»

Joonmyeon pursed his lips, angered. «If only we had Jinki’s silver...»

«But you haven’t» the witch cut him off, «because the Chinese wolves intercepted it. Now you’d better put your demon at fight, or you will be killed. Our sister isn’t there, we already checked.»

Luhan was still on the stairs, when he saw Yixing coming in along with Minseok. «Luhan!» the healer screamed when he saw him, «Finally! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!»

«I’m here» Luhan replied, backing away a little when Yixing approached him and grabbed his chin to check if he was okay. He could feel Minseok’s eyes on him, and he didn’t want him to realize anything, but Yixing already grabbed him by his wrist.

«Take shelter» Joonmyeon said, handing a gun to Kai, who passed by and then ran away. «They’ve silver bullets. The hunters are already positioned upstairs to shoot.»

Luhan tried to break free, but the healer’s grip was iron-like. «Joonmyeon, we have to protect Luhan» he said. «He’s pregnant.»

The whole world seemed to freeze, while the pack leader stared at Luhan and Luhan stared back at him. It was maybe the first time Joonmyeon dared looking at him in the eyes after their mating.

«I... how...»

«There’s no time for the details» Yixing blurted out, «Luhan needs protection. From the Yitiao Langs and from the hunters as well.»

«Sure» Joonmyeon stupidly replied, looking stoned, «sure.»

For a second, Luhan even pitied him, because he looked so lost he felt like hugging him and saying everything was okay.

«Minseok» Joonmyeon ordered, handing him a gun loaded with silver, «Jinki gave us a few of these. Please, take care of him. Protect him with your life.»

«Yes, leader» Minseok replied, taking a step towards Luhan, «I will.»

He grabbed his arm, holding him firmly. The omega dared peeping at him, to see if he was showing any reaction, but the alpha’s face looked focused, showing very little emotion. _Can you feel it_ , he thought, _can you feel that this puppy might be yours?_

Minseok started dragging him away. «Keep your head low, especially when we’re passing near a window.»

Luhan was shaking, but he did as he was told. He kept his head ducked down, while the gunshots kept echoing through the walls. When a particularly loud bang pulsed near him, he reached out for Minseok, clutching at him as if he could be his life line.

He half-expected the alpha to push him away, but he actually hugged him tight. «Is it true?» he murmured in his ear.

Luhan nodded, quivering. Minseok’s heartbeat was strong and comforting against his own.

«Don’t worry» Minseok whispered, ghosting his lips over his cheek, «I won’t let them harm you.»

Luhan’s eyes filled with tears. «Yes» he breathed, «protect us. Me and our baby.»

His heart was beating so fast, while those words came so naturally out of his mouth. In his heart, actually, he already decided who he wanted to be the father of his son.

Minseok stared at him, his eyes big and young, while suddenly a wolf he didn’t know, probably a Yitiao Lang, appeared in the doorframe holding a gun. He looked foreign and scary, and Luhan held Minseok tighter, unable to react quickly.

It happened in a flash. Luhan screamed, sure he was about to die, and he suddenly found himself on the floor, enveloped in Minseok’s warm arms. _No_ , he thought, his vision blurred, _what’s he doing? This, way, he’ll..._

Without letting him think further, Minseok turned and shot the enemy twice. «Come» he said, bolting up and dashing towards the woods. Luhan followed him, balancing on his shaky feet, and when he saw the blood, he almost threw up.

Minseok was drenched in it.

«You... you are...» And he did the worst thing he could do, he started crying. Big, heavy sobs, while they kept running for their lives. «Minseok» he whined, «Minseok, you’re bleeding...»

But the alpha didn’t listen to him, and he kept running. They ran until Luhan was out of breath, and the alpha’s knees gave up, making them both fall on the ground.

Luhan reached out for him, panicking when he saw that his face was dead pale, his lips almost colourless. «Minseok» he called, «Minseok!»

The alpha’s eyes were open, but they looked somehow unfocused, and while his lips moved slightly, they wouldn’t let out any sound. Ripping his shirt open, Luhan checked on his back, and he saw a terrible gash, with blood pouring out of it like a fountain. It was the silver bullet’s effect, which was preventing the blood from clotting like it could do in a normal wound. With tears streaming down his face, Luhan stared at the terrible injury, without knowing what to do. Sensing his panic, Minseok weakly reached out for him.

«The bullet» he breathed, «you need to take it out.»

«How? You’re already hurting so much...»

Minseok’s breath was quick and ragged, but his fingertips were warm on Luhan’s wrist. He was caring for him even in that state, and he was just staring at him without doing nothing.

He forced himself to look at the wound once again, and he thought he caught a glimpse of something black nestled deep inside of that bloody gash. Whimpering, he put his shaky hands over the intact skin around the wound, pressing slightly. The blood almost bubbled up, coming out much faster, and he almost lost it, feeling his insides twist, but then he tried again, noticing that the bullet seemed to move a little.

«Like that» Minseok panted, encouraging him even if he was in pain, «keep going.»

He managed to keep almost perfectly silent during the several, sloppy attempts that Luhan made to squeeze the silver bullet away from his open wound, but when it actually come out with a final push he let out a stifled cry, unable to stop himself.

Reaching out with still trembling hands, Luhan pulled the alpha’s shirt with his teeth, obtaining a long strip of fabric that he used to stop the bleeding and to roughly bandage the wound. When he was finished, Minseok’s face was almost greyish, and he was shivering.

«Minseok» Luhan murmured, reaching out for him until he hugged him tightly, «love, please, don’t die, okay? Don’t die.»

He believed he saw a corner of Minseok’s mouth twitch slightly, before the alpha settled in against his lap. Was it because of the affectionate word accidentally slipping out of his mouth, or because of the irony of the whole situation? He couldn’t tell. Luhan tried warming him up, but he quickly found out he couldn’t provide him enough heat.

Holding him, he sighed deeply. So, in the end the moment came, he thought. What did Sehun said, that time? _Call your inner wolf_. It’s easy, he said.

Who would have guessed that he found the motivation to change into his wolf form just to save his lover’s life?

He closed his eyes, and the weirdest sensation took over him. He could feel his bones break, change position, turn into something new, but without the slightest pain. Actually, a part of him felt relieved of those modifications, as if he’d been trapped into a body that wasn’t his real own for too long.

When Minseok opened his eyes again, feeling warm and comfortable, he found a pair of gentle chestnut eyes staring into his, and a wet nose poking at his cheek.

«Luhan» he murmured, reaching out to stroke the wolf’s thick fur with shaky fingers. «You look... nice.»

And he really was. In his wolf form, his fur was light brown, his shape elegant and graceful. Curled up against him, still in his human form, Minseok closed his eyes, basking in Luhan’s warmth.

When Yixing finally found them, much later, they were still like that.

\---oOo---

Thanks to the witches’ intervention and to the hunters’ silver bullets, the Neugdaes managed to survive the attack. A few of them sported small wounds, but Minseok’s wound was the worst. Luhan stayed by his side while the healer put his hands over him, pouring his energy inside of the unconscious wolf’s body.

«You took care of him well» Yixing complimented Luhan, «you’ve been smart, taking out the bullet was the best way to stop the blood loss.»

«I just did what he told me to do» Luhan clarified, still shivering because of the leftover adrenaline running through his body. Getting back to his human form, after tasting how it felt being a real wolf, was making him strangely restless, as if a hidden part of himself was still struggling to get back to it.

Silently,  Yixing went on tending Minseok’s wound, retrieving his hands to get some clean bandage. Luhan looked at the alpha’s face, and he thought that a little colour returned on his cheeks. He hoped he could be okay.

«How are you?» Yixing asked.

«Me?» Luhan replied, without thinking, «As usual. Not even a scratch.»

Yixing smirked. «Joonmyeon got a little shock, previously.»

Luhan turned his back the slightest bit, looking behind his back. Joonmyeon was sitting around a small camp fire, talking with the hunters and Yoona. «Did he... did he say something about it?»

«Not really» Yixing shrugged, «he’s been talking with Yoona and Jinki since the end of the fight.»

«Do you think he’ll get angry at me?»

«Why? It’s not like you did it on purpose.»

Luhan closed his eyes, exhausted. He considered telling the truth to Yixing, who was always gentle and understanding to him, but he couldn’t find the courage to do it. «No. But... there’s Jongdae.»

The healer sighed. «Yeah. That’s going to be a problem.»

 

«I don’t want to cause him any pain, Yixing. He already endured a lot.»

Done fastening Minseok’s bandages, the Chinese wolf reached out for Luhan’s hand, squeezing it gently. «Listen, Luhan, Jongdae might find very difficult to accept the fact that you are pregnant with Joonmyeon’s pup, but in the end he will do it. He loves you as a friend... he’ll understand, even if it will be maybe the most complicated thing he ever did in his life.»

Luhan felt like he had no tears left to be shed.  He sighed, wishing to lay down somewhere to get some sleep.

«You got quite close with him too, right?»

Startled, Luhan realized that he’d been threading his fingers among Minseok’s hair for the whole time. He slowly retrieved his hand, feeling caught, but Yixing just smiled lightly at him. «This just shows how good-natured and kind you really are. He’s not a monster how everyone keeps depicting him, you know. He’s a victim of a very unpleasant situation, just like you.»

Luhan stared at Yixing. «He’s saved my life» he whispered, «that bullet was aiming straight at me.»

«Look at me, Luhan. You don’t have to feel guilty for this. He’ll heal fast.»

 But Luhan was too tired, tired of being strong, of keeping the tough facade. «Why do everyone hate him? I’ve been told he killed someone... but apparently you know more.»

Yixing stared at him, then averted his gaze.  «Tao, Yi Fan and me left the Yitiao Langs after our leader’s death. He was hit by a silver bullet, and apparently Minseok was with him when it happened. Our old pack, as well as the Neugdaes, immediately blamed him for that killing, but honestly, it’s so difficult for a werewolf getting a supply of silver. Have you ever tried touching  it? It burns on your skin as if it’s made of fire. No wolf could load a gun, or even carry it for long, without shielding his hands properly. I was one of the first who came when we found our leader laying on the ground... Minseok was still there, looking shocked, but his hands were intact, without signs of burnings, and we never found the gun that shot that bullet.»

«Why, then, everyone keeps blaming him? There was evidence he didn’t do it.»

«You can hardly call it an evidence» Yixing sighed. «Maybe he was framed, but who knows? Anyway, that night the Yitiao Langs held a meeting, and the alpha wolf who is currently leading the pack decided to attack the Neugdaes immediately. A few of us disagreed, because it felt wrong, and also coward. Neugdaes and Yitiao Langs weren’t really friends, before, but after the death of our old leader they definitely became enemies. And then the War of Blood ensued.»

Unable to stop himself, Luhan reached out to stroke the unconscious wolf’s bangs away from his face. He couldn’t imagine how lonely and miserable he could have felt for all that time. «I’ve been mean to him as well» he murmured, feeling his heart swell.

«You probably just got influenced by the others» Yixing blandly commented. «They are not evil, I’m sure you realized it, but they need someone to blame for the storm that crushed their peaceful life. Each of them lost at least a friend in the war, if not their family. Jongdae and Chanyeol were the one who had it the roughest...»

Luhan shook his head, drained. Yixing reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately. «Lay down and get some rest, will you? We can talk about this later.»

Luhan nodded, before standing to look for a quiet place to sleep. He considered sitting next to Tao and Sehun, but the two were hugging tightly not far from the campfire, talking softly, and he just walked away. Under a big tree, he spotted Jongdae, who was eyeing Joonmyeon, still busy talking with the head of the witches’ coven and the head hunter.

From the expression on his face, he knew that he’d already been told the news. «Jongdae...» he began, heart swelling for the fear of losing him. He loved him so much as a friend.

He expected him to treat him coldly, but the omega gave him proof of his kind heart again. Slowly, he reached out for him, until Luhan knelt down and let Jongdae hold him. «Let’s sleep some» the omega suggested, «and then we can talk tomorrow.»

«I’m so sorry, Jongdae...»

«Hush» his friend murmured, laying down next to him, «close your eyes and don’t worry. It will be okay.»

Luhan complied.


	8. Eight

Even if they tried, none of them managed to fall asleep in the end. Luhan was resting his head in the crook of the other omega’s neck, relishing in his sweet scent, but only when the other shifted a little he realized he was still awake. «Can we talk?» he murmured.

«Sure» Jongdae replied, moving so that they could face each other. They were laying on the grass, and Luhan had got used resting his head over his bent arm, as if it was a pillow.

«I’m so sorry» Luhan began, keeping his gaze downcast, «Yixing gave me two pills to take, but I was so confused, tired and I don’t even know what else... I forgot to take the second one. I think it’s the reason why I ended up pregnant after... after...»

«Luhan» Jongdae softly reassured him, reaching out to stroke his bangs, «it’s not like you did it on purpose. I remember well the expression you sported on those days. You looked so miserable. You don’t need to justify yourself.»

Luhan was actually shaking because of the effort of holding back his tears. «I’m scared, Jongdae.»

«Don’t. Joonmyeon and the pack will protect you. We’ll keep it a secret from the hunters...»

«Not because of that» Luhan was quick to clarify, «well, _also_ because of that, actually, but it’s not my main concern. I am afraid of... of this.»

He touched his hands to his belly, feeling it not much different from always. Maybe a little softer to the touch, but lately he hadn’t really been paying attention to what he ate. «I’m not good with kids. Also, I heard it’s painful, and that it’s going to be difficult. The... the delivery, I mean.»

«You’re going to be a good father, I’m sure of that.»

«You don’t understand» Luhan insisted, hiding his face against the omega’s shirt again, «I can’t do it. I’m unfit for that... too young...»

Jongdae kept silent, and Luhan rose his head to read the other’s face. Jongdae’s eyes were bright and wide. «I could... I could raise the puppy, if you want. But only if you want.»

Luhan froze, and for a second or two he was totally unable to speak. Encouraged by his reaction, Jongdae gulped down and went on. «Joonmyeon and me talked about this a lot. We are willing to adopt a puppy, if we find a homeless one. We can’t forget the one we lost, but at least we give a family to another unfortunate one.»

Luhan hugged himself. If Joonmyeon was the father of his puppy, well, that would have been the most logical thing to do. But if it were Minseok...

«Sorry» Jongdae softly murmured, «I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything like that.»

Luhan didn’t have the heart of saying anything. He would have wanted to tell his friend that everything was okay, that it was alright for him to desire that poor puppy growing inside of him could replace the one he lost, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t, because he suddenly remembered the way Minseok hugged him tightly, just a handful of hours before, when he learnt the news.

With a heavy sigh, Jongdae scooped a little closer. «Luhan, listen to what I say. It’s too early, for you, to take decisions. You just found out about your pregnancy, and your feelings are still all over the place. You need to clear your mind, and only time will help you doing it. These thoughts of being unfit... of not being good enough... they are normal, and they could cross the mind of every mentally healthy person. Just give yourself some more time.»

Luhan hugged Jongdae tight. If only he knew, he thought, he would not be so understanding and kind to him. If only he knew he actually mated with the one he considered responsible of his own ruin, he’d have pushed him away like trash.

«Okay, I’ll do it» he murmured, when he managed to pull himself together. «Just... can you be there, when I’ll talk to Joonmyeon?»

Jongdae smiled, actually kissing his cheek to comfort him. «Sure.»

He was expecting to get a chance to talk to the pack leader the morning after, so he got suddenly nervous when he noticed the alpha’s small frame while he silently approached them. He walked as if he was in desperate need of some rest, and Luhan felt a pang of pity for him. He straightened up, pulling in a sitting position while Jongdae made some space for his mate to sit next to him. «So, here we are» Joonmyeon began, uneasy.

Luhan was too scared to betray himself to talk, so he kept silent for the whole time. Joonmyeon, actually, was nothing but considerate. He said he was sorry for neglecting Luhan, who was surely in a very uncomfortable state of mind at that time, and he added that he should have arranged for Yixing to keep a closer eye on him, instead of leaving him alone to cope with his own loneliness and scare. He told him all those things, looking at Luhan in the eyes, with the gentlest, most delicate expression that someone could wish for, and Luhan now understood perfectly why Jongdae was so fond of him. He was a real man of honour, and he had a confirmation of it when Joonmyeon assured him every possible protection from the hunters.

«You’re our priority, not them. You and our puppy. They can go to hell.»

Luhan couldn’t believe it, but his eyes started to swell when he said “our”. He was relieved that Joonmyeon acted so understanding, but how could he have reacted if the puppy was Minseok’s instead?

«Thanks» he managed to mutter, in the end, «it means a lot to me.» He yelped, startled, when the pack leader smiled and leaned over to ruffle his hair. It was a gesture of fatherly affection, and it had the effect of triggering Luhan’s tears. He started crying a river while Joonmyeon’s hand rested on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. Jongdae was holding his hand too, but Luhan just couldn’t prevent his tears from falling.

«Just wait for Sehun and Tao to know about the news» the omega said, nuzzling his head against Luhan’s, «they’ll go crazy. It’s been a while since we had a puppy in the pack...» His voice trailed off, carried by his own memories, but he pulled together quickly. «You’ll see, everyone will nag you to hold him, to teach him how to be a good wolf and so on. Kai is great with kids, and Chanyeol too...»

Luhan smiled in spite of the tears, and the conversation moved to more pleasant topics. He fell asleep between the two wolves, feeling strangely at ease.

\---oOo---

Minseok recovered fast, getting on his feet after just two days after Yixing healed him. When Luhan woke up and saw him helping Yi Fan burying the ashes of their campfire, his heart skipped a beat. Wasn’t he supposed to rest more? Was he going to be okay? Did the bullet leave a scar on his beautiful skin?

Every fibre of his body ached for him, but he couldn’t reach out and touch him, under all those staring eyes. Their eyes met just briefly when the pack and the hunters gathered for breakfast (the witches disdainfully refused their suggestion of joining them), and Luhan could easily detect in the alpha’s chestnut irises the same feeling that was wrecking him.

He heard somewhere that pregnancy sometimes enhanced feelings and triggered strong emotions, but Luhan was totally unprepared for it. He couldn’t believe how much he wanted him to hold him, to be by his side, even to talk to him, to hear his voice. He had the feeling that need for secrecy was slowly driving him insane.

They still had not a chance to talk to each other, not even for a little moment, since Minseok felt better.

«Luhan?»

The omega turned, wide-eyed, seeing Kibum staring at him with a frown. «Sorry, I was spacing out.»

«Are you okay? You look sick.»

«Uh... I’ve been catching all kind of bugs since I came into the pack... I guess I still need to get used to it.»

The hunter didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t insist on that topic. «Kyungsoo said he needs some herbs for the stew. Can you look for it in the woods while I go hunting? I tried asking that bitchy brunette over there, but he just scoffed at me and went away with his boyfriend.»

«That’s his mate, Tao, and the “bitchy brunette” is Sehun.»

«Whatever. Can you do it?»

Luhan attempted to smile, actually relieved that he got a little distraction from all his inner turmoil. What could have happened if the hunters were still around when his belly would start to bulge in a noticeable way? He really had no idea of that. Besides Jinki, who was cold to everyone, Minho, Kibum and Jonghyun mingled pretty well among the pack. Then there was Taemin... but that was another topic.

While he looked around, checking a bunch of fragrant leaves from time to time, he thought about the demon. Jinki got furious at him for not moving a finger during the recent Yitiao Langs’ attack, besides enjoying himself madly while the Neugdaes slayed them with the hunters’ silver. The problem now was that Jinki and his men now almost completely ran out of silver, and God only knew what happened to their famous supplier. They were in an isolated area, where cell phones were useless and internet was just an illusion. The only way Jinki had to find some more bullets was getting back in Seoul and find another supplier.

If the lack of silver was indeed a problem, though, Luhan was way more worried about Taemin’s attitude. Why the demon disobeyed to Jinki, when he ordered him to attack their enemy? Was it because of the witches’ presence? Or weren’t the hunters controlling him since the very beginning?

It was a scary perspective, and he decided he’d better telling Joonmyeon later...

«Stop.»

He froze, raising his hands. The voice that spoke to him talked in Chinese.

The wolf took one step towards him, coming into view. He was holding a knife, and Luhan saw it shine crudely before the Yitiao Lang grabbed him by the waist, pressing the flat of the blade over his neck. It was cold, and Luhan whimpered.

«You understood what I said» the wolf whispered in his ear. «Are you Chinese?»

Luhan was shaking. «M-my mother is Chinese. I can speak some.»

The Yitiao Lang snorted. «Good. Translating is such a pain in the ass.»

Luhan was about to scream for help, when Kibum suddenly appeared in front of him. «Is he the one you were talking about?»

Kibum pursed his lips, as if he was pondering that request. «Yes.»

The Chinese wolf grabbed a handful of Luhan’s hair, yanking his head back. «He doesn’t look like an omega. He’s too tall.»

Squirming in that powerful grip, Luhan arched his back desperately to face the hunter. «You... you were in contact with them for the time being? Traitor!»

«You are such an idiot» Kibum whispered, switching to Korean not to let the other understand, «I’m saving your life.»

«What?»

«Jinki knows about you. He wants to...»

«I’m bringing him away» the Chinese wolf barged in. «Just make sure everything will be alright.»

«Remember who you’re talking to, wolf. I don’t take orders from animals. I usually kill them.»

Too shocked to talk, Luhan didn’t protest when the wolf started to drag him away. Kibum just stayed put, eyes darker than the night staring into nothing.

Everything slowly fell into its place. Kibum organized everything since the start. He was the one who told the Yitiao Langs how to block Jinki’s silver supply, and he was the one who set up the recent skirmish in the woods. And maybe... maybe Taemin was even his accomplice, refusing to obey to Jinki’s orders? But how in the world would he be safe, among the Yitiao Langs? This made no sense.

Also, Minseok would have worried so much, when he wouldn’t show up with Kyungsoo’s herbs.

He pushed the wolf away, trying to squirm free from his hold. «I’m sorry» he said, «but I can’t do it. I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t leave my friends behind like that.»

The wolf narrowed his eyes. «So, I guess you won’t follow me without fighting?»

Luhan nodded. «Yeah, don’t think I...»

The blow on his head came completely unexpected. It made him stagger, blink and sigh as he went limp in his kidnapper’s arms, and the wolf started carrying him away.

Watching them go, Kibum didn’t move an inch. «I’m sorry, Luhan» he murmured, «but I can’t let him take you so easily.»

\---oOo---

Luhan woke up when someone pressed a cloth soaked in cold water over his head.

«Are you okay?»

Luhan stared at the person who just talked to him, slowly taking in his features. He was small and thin, but the voluminous robes he was clad into made him somewhat ungraceful. His face, though, was lovely, even slightly feminine, with almond-shaped eyes and a delicate, rounded chin. Something about him immediately made Luhan think that he was an omega.

«Are you... perhaps...» He remembered Chanyeol talked about his mate being held captive by the Yitiao Langs, but he couldn’t recall his name. Also, the wound on his head was pulsing like crazy, preventing him from thinking straight.

The omega grabbed him by his shoulder, yanking him forward. «You’re Korean! Are you a Neugdae? Please, tell me.»

Luhan keened, because the sudden move made his head hurt in a terrible way. The young wolf seemed to remember suddenly about his state, because he let him go, hands hovering around his head, unsure of where to touch. «I’m so sorry, I didn’t think it was so bad... does it hurt a lot?»

Luhan’s sight was turning blurry, and he almost fell flat on the floor, ending to lean heavily on the unknown omega. He held him, but he raised one harm to shield his middle, covering his own belly. «Careful» he murmured, «lean over my shoulder.» Under the many layers of his robes, his body was rounded and warm.

He was heavily pregnant, probably of nine months.

«You’re...» he began, but he had to stop, because his guts were turning and his world was spinning. He realized where he was, now. He was in the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters, and he was being held captive.

«Sssh» the Korean wolf softly soothed him, caressing his hair away from his face, «it’s alright now. Close your eyes, it will get better. I’ll call the guards, I’ll tell them you need medical care.»

Luhan would have liked telling him he was pregnant as well, and that he couldn’t take any medicine or it could have affected his puppy, but he couldn’t. He just leaned on him, basking in the warmth radiating from his body and the nice scent of his clothes. He didn’t _look_ like a captive. Did he know that Chanyeol was hurting, while missing him terribly? And he still couldn’t remember his name.

The omega hunched forward to cradle him in his arms. «I’m Baekhyun. Who are you?»

Luhan gulped down a couple times before answering. Being close like that felt so _natural_ , even if he didn’t know that dude. «I know. You’re Chanyeol’s mate.»

Baekhyun turned slightly, talking to someone beside him. «Call for help. He’s bleeding.»

«Okay.» A female voice. Luhan struggled to keep his eyes open, and he saw an elegant silhouette walking past him to approach the door. «Hello, is there someone out there? We need the doctor.»

«Puppy on his way?» another voice asked from the outside.

«Nope. The wolf you brought here previously is wounded. Who is the asshole who took him? He needs to be punished.»

«Shall I bring here the beta who captured him?»

«No, you decide the right punishment. I don’t want to see such scum.» The girl turned, kneeling down next to Baekhyun and Luhan. «Idiots» she kept muttering under her breath, adding a string of curses that made Luhan widen his eyes, even in his state. Baekhyun smirked.

«That’s Taeyeon for you, in all her grace.»

«Oh, I see... the witch. Your sisters are looking for you.» Luhan cleared his voice, because his throat felt raspy.

«Please» the girl scoffed. «If these dumplings don’t kill me, Yoona will totally do it. I’m sure she believed I left the coven willingly.»

In spite of everything, Luhan chuckled. Taeyeon was hot-tempered and tough, but she was slim and innocent-looking, totally deceiving to the eye. He secretly liked her attitude.

She looked at him with dark chestnut eyes. «I think you deserve some explanations.»

«Really, Taeyeon?» Baekhyun cut her off. «He’s hurt. He needs to rest.»

«Baekhyun» she retorted, «this poor confused thing needs _a lot_ of explanations, otherwise he’ll start to panic and he won’t rest at all.»

Sighing, the omega talked directly to Luhan. «See? This is what I was forced to stand for the last few months.»

Taeyeon punched him on his elbow. She was wearing silky robes as well, probably some Chinese costume, even if Luhan wasn’t sure of it, and she looked way too fine to be a captive, as well as Baekhyun, actually. Also, Luhan didn’t forget about the way she talked to the guard before, as if she was commanding him to do something.

In that moment, someone Luhan didn’t know entered the room and knelt by him to check on his wound. Taeyeon and Baekhyun let the doctor take care of Luhan’s head, bandaging it tightly. That healer didn’t use the same technique of Yixing, who relied on his capability to heal wounds and diseases with his inner energy, but seemed to know only about traditional medicine. Maybe, losing him, the Yitiao Langs endured a hard time?

When the wolf left, Baekhyun helped Luhan lay down against some soft cushions on the ground. Everything was silky and luxurious, and reminded Luhan of the same atmosphere of a Chinese costume drama. Almost like a masquerade, also.

«Why this?» he asked, pointing at Baekhyun’s elaborate clothes. The Korean wolf sighed, touching lightly the small topknot on top of his head. «And why are you here? People thinks you’re dead.» _Only Chanyeol is still determined to find you_...

«It’s difficult. When the War of Blood stroke, Kibum was...»

«Baekhyun» Taeyeon interrupted him, «from the beginning, please.»

The omega sighed again. «Well... you know how the war started, don’t you? The Neugdaes must have told you.»

Luhan blinked through his headache. «I know that Minseok killed the Yitiao Langs’ leader, and this triggered their reaction, hence the slaughtering of half of the pack.»

«Yeah, this is what they _think_ happened that day. I was there, and  I saw everything.»

Luhan opened his eyes wide. Baekhyun’s hand was on his big belly, stroking it lightly. Moving on its own, his hand reached out for it, touching hesitatingly the silky-covered surface. It felt warm and tight, and Luhan couldn’t believe he would be in the same condition, soon. He immediately retrieved his hand, putting it over his own belly, as to shield his baby.

The weirdest sensation hit him when he thought he could feel something move at that touch, something nestled deep inside of him. He knew it was technically impossible, since Yixing told him that he would be able to feel the foetus’ movements only some weeks later, but for the first time, in that moment, he realized how important that little thing was to him.

And it was important because it was his... and of the man, no, the wolf he loved.

«Minseok... did he really kill that wolf?» he asked, with tears in his eyes. «Please. I need the truth.»

Baekhyun looked at him. «He did» he confirmed. «But not of his own will.»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and the rest of Baekhyun's explanations will be in next chapter ~~otherwise it would have been too long and boring~~. Sorry for the late update, but life's been hectic lately. It was nice, though, to see how everyday this story got kudos and hits. I'm happy it grabbed some attention. ^^


	9. Nine

Luhan had trouble falling asleep. He shifted against the soft pillows, trying a different position, but it soon was clear that it wouldn’t work either. Maybe it was because of the pregnancy, or because of the strong emotions and the adrenaline always running through his veins, but sleeping, lately, was a really difficult thing, for him. He had the feeling, though, that if Minseok was next to him, keeping him warm with his strong body, he would have found it a little less upsetting.

Baekhyun told him everything, beforehand, but Luhan kept interrupting him, asking further questions, wanting more explanations. Finally someone was telling him the truth, and he wanted it all. It was his right, wasn’t it? He deserved it.

Still, it was shocking, because it was completely different compared to what he imagined.

The key of that whole mess was the hunter called Kibum. Luhan always thought he was unfit for his role, because he gave off a slightly different vibe than the other hunters. According to Baekhyun, also, he had a relationship with a werewolf. A romantic one, to be precise.

«As you know, relationships with humans are strictly forbidden, for us» Baekhyun told him. «The pack might look strong on the outside, but actually has many weaknesses. Until we fight our wars between werewolves outside of the towns, humans will live their peaceful lives without caring about it, but if a werewolf was to kill a human, the consequences might be terrible for us. Humans might be physically weaker than us, but they’re too many. We could never win against them.

«Still, Kibum was different. The Yitiao Langs’s leader came in contact with him because he needed some supply of medicines and surgical stuff, and Kibum provided that things for him. They started talking and spending time together, and... well, you can guess what happened next.

«The need of secrecy was absolute. Kibum’s companions couldn’t get to know their fellow hunter was dating someone who he was supposed to chase and kill, and the Chinese wolves couldn’t guess the other round, otherwise their leader would be overthrown. I don’t know exactly how, but Kibum hired a werewolf to protect him and his lover during their encounters.»

Luhan’s heart already knew the name of that wolf, even if Baekhyun didn’t say it yet. «It was Minseok, wasn’t it?»

«Yeah» Baekhyun confirmed. «The Chinese wolf, similarly, always came to see Kibum along with a human, a mercenary, who was supposed to protect him. That day I was there by accident, because I’d been sent from Joonmyeon to look for a certain kind of mushroom that could be used like a medicine, since I know plants well and I’m good at recognizing them.

«I went deep into the wood, and I soon heard some talking. It was them, Kibum and his lover, and their guards were watching over them. I spotted Minseok immediately and I waved at him, but when I saw the Yitiao Lang I immediately understood that something was wrong. Minseok explained everything to me, and he begged me to keep it as a secret. He didn’t want Joonmyeon to find out about his little side job, and he was worried about the other alphas’ reaction as well. We were still talking when we heard a sudden uproar, and some men holding weapons approached Kibum.»

«...were they humans?» Luhan asked. «Hunters?» He finally had the feeling he was starting to understand everything.

Baekhyun nodded. «Yes. Minseok immediately told me to get back to the pack and warn them, and I started to run. When I heard a gunshot, though, I stopped and looked back, because I was worried for him.»

The omega’s eyes went glassy, and Luhan reached out for his hand, grabbing it tightly. «The humans surrounded them, they were doomed, and the Yitiao Langs’ leader shot himself in the head not to let them capture him.»

Luhan closed his eyes, hoping he understood well. «So... Minseok didn’t really...»

Baekhyun shook his head. «Maybe he didn’t pull the trigger himself, but I bet he blames himself the same, since he mingled with humans without permission first and then he couldn’t do anything to avoid this tragedy. Obviously, a part of the Yitiao Langs got it all wrong, and believed he was the one who killed their leader, deciding to attack the Neugdaes that night.

«Minseok got rid of the hunters, but Kibum couldn’t do anything to stop the Yitiao Langs to commit a massacre.

«That night, while I was running away with Chanyeol, someone grabbed me and pulled me away. My mate fought for me, but he was wounded and he was soon left behind. I’m sure I’d have died, if Kibum wasn’t there to shoot my attacker.»

«Kibum? Wasn’t he with the other humans?»

Baekhyun wetted his lips. «After the ambush in the woods, he managed to run away and to reach the Yitiao Langs who didn’t agree with the decision to attack the Neugdaes. They were just a small number, since many of them started the War of Blood and some others just escaped, like the ones our fellows took into the pack, but somehow Kibum managed to convince them about his righteousness. This group, the supersites, declared him their new leader.»

«You mean» Luhan shakily interrupted him, «that Kibum is still...»

«Yeah» Baekhyun confirmed, «he’s still ruling the Yitiao Langs after all this time. They got rid of the rebels, and now he’s leading the pack. Even if he’s not a wolf.»

«Can’t they turn him into one?»

«They could, but he purposefully chose not to change his nature. And the pack respected his own decision. Also, he’s the one who sent you here, but I think you already know it.»

«Yeah» Luhan murmured, «he said it was to protect me.» And he placed his hands over his belly, feeling Baekhyun’s eyes follow his gesture.

«How many weeks are you?» he gently asked.

«I don’t know exactly. Yixing said I could be three months, more or less.»

Baekhyun smiled. Luhan had to admit that, when he smiled, his face seemed to light up from the inside, making him extremely handsome. He was starting to understand why Chanyeol seemed so determined to believe he wasn’t dead. «And who’s the lucky father? One of my friends?»

Suddenly, Luhan felt worried. Was it okay to tell Baekhyun about Minseok? Not that he could inform the Neugdaes in any way, actually, but still...

«It’s Minseok» he whispered.

«Weird» Taeyeon barged in, narrowing her eyes at him, «I would have sworn it was their leader, that wimpy guy.»

Baekhyun glared at her. «Can’t you be a little more delicate?»

«When Kibum told me they were blaming _me_ for the incantation that made him sick, I felt like throwing up. Your furballs’ brains must be the size of a peanut.»

Luhan was confused. «You weren’t the one who cursed him?»

Taeyeon scoffed again. «No. That’s black magic, and I don’t know how to do it. Kibum and his wolves had to kidnap me in order to bring me here, because Yoona wouldn’t let me leave the coven. I’m here to shield the pack’s headquarters from Taemin... even if probably even an army of witches wouldn’t be of any use against him. I still can’t believe a monster like that let a spiteful bastard like Jinki put a leash around his neck.»

Luhan couldn’t believe it. They really got it all wrong from the very beginning. The whole thing was such a huge misunderstanding, such an enormous mistake. At first they thought the witches were behind everything, then the Yitiao Langs, but apparently they got it all wrong.

The girl was still looking at him, chewing on some grapes she got from a plate. «You still aren’t getting it, are you? The mastermind who’s behind everything.»

Luhan looked at her. «Who is it? Please, tell me.»

His heart was beating at a crazy rhythm. His Minseok was innocent, no matter what people could think, now he was sure of it. He couldn’t wait for the moment he would have hugged him, kept him close and kissed his lips. He wanted so badly to lean against his ear and whisper “it’s okay” to him. He still couldn’t forget the way his eyes got distant and lost from time to time: he was sure Baekhyun was right, and that Minseok was the one who blamed himself the most for what happened.

He wanted to be with him so much, now...

Taeyeon shoved the grapes in the plate again. «He’s the one who sent his hunters to get the Yitiao Langs’ leader, and now he’s aiming for a pregnant omega to sell. Do you still need any clue?»

«Taeyeon, please» Baekhyun begged, seeing how  Luhan turned deadly pale at those words.

Jinki. It was Jinki who caused the War of Blood, who orchestrated everything since the very beginning and just watched them crawl like puppets attached to his strings. According to Taeyeon, he even was responsible of Joonmyeon’s illness, forcing Taemin to cast a spell over him.  This way, since Kibum managed to hide Baekhyun away, he knew that in order to cure himself Joonmyeon would have no other choice but impregnate an omega, falling right into his net.»

Luhan shivered. He’d never imagined to be Jinki’s target. This, though, would have explained why Taemin seemed so fascinated with him...

«Kibum managed to conceal his real identity and to enter Jinki’s hunters’ group, to keep an eye on him, and when he realized he was looking for a pregnant omega he decided to hide me here. And I bet he did the same with you.»

«Chanyeol is still waiting for your return» Luhan murmured, and Baekhyun’s face twisted into a grimace when the first tears crossed his cheeks.

«Don’t think I’m happy, here, without him» the omega whispered, «but I have to think about our puppy as well. I can’t put him in danger. Kibum said it’s safer for us letting Chanyeol think we’re both dead, and I think he’s right. I have to put my puppy’s life before everything, now.»

Those words shook Luhan deeply. What was going to happen, now? He placed his hands over his belly, feeling it soft but strangely tense under his fingertips. His baby was really growing inside, he reminded to himself, it was no joke.

Even if every fibre of himself ached to see Minseok again, maybe Baekhyun was right, and the only solution to protect his baby’s life was to hide there, where nobody would come to look for them.

«Why does Jinki wants so badly to capture a pregnant omega?» he asked. «Is it just for money?»

Baekhyun nodded. «That man is so rotten he’d do anything for money. But Taeyeon believes there’s more, don’t you?»

«Yep» the girl confirmed. «I’m sure there’s more. I refuse to think that this is all for money.»

Luhan kind of agreed with her.

When he fell asleep, much later, he made the weirdest dream.

Minseok was with him, and he was holding his hand. He was laying over a pristine white bed, with Yixing checking on him.

«You won’t feel any pain» the healer was explaining, «you’ll close your eyes as soon as the IV will be attached to your arm. You’ll wake up only when your daughter will be born.»

 _Daughter_.

In the dream, Luhan felt choking with a weird mixture of adrenaline and happiness, at that word. His baby girl was going to born... and Minseok was going to be a proud father.

«Are you ready for it?» he said, turning to face the alpha.

Minseok was crying, big tears rolling down his cheeks. At first Luhan got scared, but then he noticed his expression.

Minseok was crazy happy about the news.

«Our baby girl» he whispered, kissing Luhan’s knuckles, «our little one.»

Luhan wanted to tell him something, but the anaesthesia was already flowing into his veins, making his tongue numb. He started feeling drowsy, but he kept fighting to keep his eyes open until the very last moment, his gaze still locked with Minseok’s.

«I love you» the alpha murmured to him, his voice sending pleasant shivers all over Luhan’s body, «never forget it.»

 _I love you too,_ Luhan thought, unable to voice out his feeling, but then a sudden scream shook him awake.

Baekhyun was holding his middle, trashing into the cushions, tears of pain streaming down his cheeks. Taeyeon was with him, trying to help him breathe correctly, but the wolf couldn’t follow her directions.

«What’s happening?» Luhan asked, scared.

«I don’t know» the girl replied. «At first I thought he was going to deliver, but something looks wrong. He’s burning up.»

Luhan touched Baekhyun’s forehead, and he immediately took back his hand. His skin was scorching hot.

«What’s wrong with him?»

«Do I look like I know?» Taeyeon angrily retorted, before resuming trying to soothe the wolf. «You have to calm down, Baek, okay? Otherwise you might hurt yourself. Think of your little one, will you? Here. Like this.»

Luhan got on his feet, pushing the door of their “prison”. It was open. «Is there someone?» he screamed. «We need a doctor.»

A wolf immediately sprang away, accomplishing his request. A little startled, Luhan went back into the room, helping Taeyeon pin Baekhyun’s arms against the pillows. The omega was now struggling to breathe, his mouth gaping open, his eyes rolling back.

The doctor, a Chinese wolf wearing some fancy clothing that Luhan only saw in period dramas before, came in and started to check on Baekhyun, who was alternating between moments of lucidity and terrible crisis of pain.

«What is it?» Luhan asked, terrified when the doctor very unceremoniously lifted Baekhyun’s vest to reveal the huge shape of his engorged belly. Nasty purple strikes crossed his tense skin, and Luhan almost couldn’t look at it, because it looked terrible.

The doctor muttered something about herbal medicine, and he went away to get it.

«Luhan» Taeyeon told him, looking at him in the eyes, «this is not something that herbs can cure, you know.»

«Yeah» Luhan approved, shielding the other omega’s nudity with his vest again.

He knew there was only one thing to do.

He needed to get Yixing.


	10. Ten

«You furballs and your awesome sense of logic» Taeyeon teased him, when he told her his idea, «how the hell do you think you could contact him? You can’t get out of here, you’ll be in danger.»

«But Baekhyun...»

«Baekhyun will be in danger as well» the girl spat out.

Luhan chewed on his lip. He was sure Yixing would be able to do something for Baekhyun, but he had been trying to convince Taeyeon for the last few hours, and he hadn’t managed to do it. Luhan and Taeyeon had pressed icy cloths over his forehead as the Yitiao Langs’ doctor instructed them to, but his fever didn’t broke. Also, the omega’s physique was so thin and delicate he was already looking weakened by the sickness. The Chinese doctor was pretty sure he wasn’t ready to deliver yet, and he thought that the fever depended on some bacteria he could have contracted, or it could even be pre-eclampsia or another pregnancy-related disorder. Whatever it was, it was abnormally violent and made the poor Baekhyun suffer a lot, making Luhan cringe in fear. He felt a deep connection with him, maybe because they were both Neugdaes, or because they were both omegas or also because they were both with child, and he hated seeing him like that.

Taeyeon, though, was stubborn like a donkey, and wouldn’t even let him speak about getting Yixing in the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters.

«He is an amazing healer» Luhan weakly tried to protest, «he could really save him.»

«If you go to the Neugdaes, you’ll practically lead the whole Team Jinki here, handing him to them on a fucking plate. If they don’t kill you before, that’s for sure.»

Luhan knew she had a point, but he couldn’t see Baekhyun in agony like that. Now he was so weak he just lied motionless, his face flushed, his enormous belly on top of him like a small mountain. Unable to stop himself, Luhan would reach out to stroke it from time to time, just to feel the puppy’s slight movements under his fingers, as to check if he was still alive. He had the terrible feeling that if something happened to the puppy, Baekhyun wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Coming to sit next to him, Taeyeon let out a heavy sigh. «You can’t just frustrate Kibum’s efforts to keep the both of you safe, you damn kid. Do you understand it?»

«I’d just like to help him» Luhan softly replied. «I don’t want him to die.»

Taeyeon sighed again. «Listen» she said, «there might be a way. But it’s risky.»

Luhan looked at her, hopeful. Beforehand, Taeyeon had refused categorically to let him speak to the guards outside of their room, or to ask some of the Yitiao Langs’ to contact Yixing. The Neugdaes wouldn’t let anyone who wasn’t part of the pack near them without attacking, and the hunters too.

«I could go tell your healer that Baekhyun needs his help» Taeyeon said.

Luhan’s insides twisted. «No» he breathed, clutching at Baekhyun’s delicate hand, which he had been holding for a while, «I won’t let you do anything like that. Yoona and your sisters are still convinced you betrayed the coven. They’ll kill you.»

The witch snorted. «Oh, believe me, they could do worse than killing. But I’m afraid we’ve not many other solutions available.»

«Fuck» Luhan muttered under his breath. He very rarely cursed, before meeting the Neugdaes, but lately he felt like he’d been doing it a lot. Taeyeon playfully reached out to ruffle his hair.

«You little one just stay here by his side, okay? Take care of my little Baek. I’ll just need to talk to Kibum, then I’m sure he’ll find a way to arrange everything without letting Jinki and Yoona know.»

Luhan didn’t like that idea, he didn’t like it at all. First of all, Taeyeon was a girl, and since he had been raised in quite a chauvinist environment, he wasn’t keen on putting her into such a danger without at least trying to prevent her from doing it. Then, there were so many things that could go wrong in that little improvised plan that he felt scared just thinking about it.

Also, there was another factor. Taeyeon looked sure of herself, but Yixing was a powerful beta, and Luhan wasn’t so sure he would follow her willingly.

«Taeyeon» he warned her, «you might need to fight, to get him here.»

She eyed him with a smirk. «Do I look scared to you?»

«Not really, but Yixing might be hard to convince. This whole story is so crazy. I don’t know...»

Then, suddenly, he had an intuition. «Don’t go straight to Yixing» he said, «look for an alpha called Chanyeol, before.»

Taeyeon was confused. «Who?»

«Chanyeol» Luhan repeated, gripping tightly on Baekhyun’s small hand, «if you say it’s about Baekhyun, he’ll do whatever you ask him to.»

\---oOo---

Luhan’s eyelids were heavy, but he didn’t want to fall asleep. Baekhyun’s condition was worsening by the hour. Now he was almost catatonic, and the Chinese doctor looked worried for the foetus’ movements, which seemed to slow down as well. He needed antibiotics, the kind that wouldn’t harm the puppy, and other expensive medicaments the Yitiao Langs’ couldn’t afford without getting out of their shelter and going into town, which meant exposing themselves to the enemy.

Baekhyun was unconscious for most of the time, but when he shook himself awake, he looked relieved to see Luhan by his side.

«I’m going to get a friend of mine to treat you, Baekhyun» Luhan tried to explain him. «He’s an awesome doctor. He healed Minseok from a deadly wound caused by a silver bullet, sometime ago. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.»

«Hmm» Baekhyun weakly commented, his eyes half-closed and unfocused, «please, tell him to save my puppy no matter what. I don’t care about myself, I just want him to be alright. Will you tell him?»

Luhan’s heart was caught in a vise. He didn’t want to tear up in front of his fellow omega just like that, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to contain himself. «Don’t talk nonsense, you silly» he murmured, trying his best to use a soothing tone, «you’re not dying.»

The Chinese doctor’s grim face, though, wasn’t much encouraging, while he examined Baekhyun’s eyes and tongue and he checked his pulse. Baekhyun’s blood pressure was dangerously high, and the fever was wrecking  him. Herbal medicine, as well as acupuncture, wasn’t of any help.

Hours kept passing, and still there were no signs of Taeyeon. Luhan’s worry kept increasing, thinking of the many ways the girl could have gotten caught by his fellow wolves, by the hunters or, the worst of all options, by the witches themselves. Their guard yelled at them, telling in Chinese that the witch couldn’t leave the headquarters, otherwise they would be too exposed to a potential attack of Taemin’s magic, but she just ignored him and went. And since the Yitiao Langs weren’t actually holding her captive, they couldn’t prevent her from doing it.

Luhan felt strangely responsible for that whole thing. It was his idea, and now that he contemplated it, it was just plain stupid. He put Taeyeon through too much risk, and he didn’t even consider about putting the Yitiao Langs’ in a difficult situation.

«I’m thirsty» Baekhyun murmured, his teeth clattering because of the fever. Luhan helped him lift his head a little to drink from a cup, and he watched as he laid back again, closing his eyes. He was beautiful, even when sick, and he found himself thinking about Chanyeol. How much pain had he endured, being far from him? Now that he thought about it, the tall alpha always talked about his mate as if he was still alive, for him, while the rest of the pack was actually prone thinking he was already dead. Luhan just hoped Taeyeon managed to talk to Chanyeol without hurting herself.

He really hoped it.

He’d fallen asleep when the door smashed open, startling him. He opened his mouth to say something, but then Chanyeol’s tall frame appeared on the threshold.

«Baekhyun» the alpha breathed, before throwing himself on his knees at his mate’s side. «Baekhyun, it’s me. Can you hear me?»

The omega opened his eyes as soon as he heard his mate’s voice. «C-chanyeol» he stuttered, before letting out a faint whine, a more feral than human sound. It carried all his pain, and Luhan averted his gaze, his eyes full of tears. Chanyeol hugged Baekhyun tight, holding him against himself.

«I’m here» he murmured, his voice broken, «I’m here. Don’t worry, it will be okay.»

Baekhyun was still making those little, pained sounds, while he started crying. He tried lifting his hand to stroke his mate’s face, but he couldn’t do it and he just lied there, nuzzling his face against Chanyeol’s chest.

«Let me see him.»

Luhan turned, seeing Yixing entering the room, already rummaging into his shoulder bag. He took out a stethoscope and he began checking on Baekhyun. Luhan was sure the omega barely realized about it, because his gaze was still focused on Chanyeol’s, as if the two were unable to keep away from each other, now that they were finally reunited.

It was so moving... but it also made him feel terribly alone.

He stepped on the threshold, determined to leave the room to let Yixing visit Baekhyun comfortably, when he met Taeyeon, who grabbed him by the elbow. «Where do you think you’re going?»

«Well...» Luhan began, looking at her in concern. She looked okay, even if her hair was a mess and she looked tired. «I don’t know. Somewhere else, I think.»

Taeyeon’s pretty face twisted in a grimace that could express equally anger or mockery. «What kind of wolf are you, exactly?»

Luhan stared at her. «What?»

«Can’t you even use your sense of smell properly? I brought three people here, idiot.»

Luhan looked around, blank. Yi Fan, he thought, she probably brought Yi Fan along with Yixing, or Tao, who were his fellows when they still were Yitiao Langs. Or maybe Kai, who was Chanyeol’s beta, to protect Yixing during the return trip.

He didn’t dare hoping she brought _him_... or the disappointment would have killed him.

When someone came to hug him from behind, though, he almost fell. «Y-you...»

He couldn’t believe it. It was too much. Maybe he was still dreaming, and he would wake up in that brightly coloured room along with Taeyeon and a perfectly healthy Baekhyun.

«Luhan» Minseok softly murmured, immersing his nose in the omega’s soft hair, «thanks God you are alive.»

Luhan turned, coming to face the alpha. His throat was so dry that no sound would escape from it. He kept staring at him, trembling, unable to move or to say anything.

Slowly, Minseok reached out for him, pulling him in a gentle embrace.

It was all Luhan needed to finally start clinging onto him and burst out crying.

\---oOo---

Yixing agreed with the Chinese doctor about Baekhyun’s condition, which he judged very serious. He immediately put himself at work, placing his hands over his belly, pouring his healing energy inside of him.

«It tingles» the omega whispered to his mate, who was still holding him, and  Chanyeol just bent down, kissing his brow sweetly. Luhan thought it was strange, seeing the tough alpha engaging in such gentle gestures, since he never saw him showing any real affection to anyone. He found even stranger, though, how nor Yixing nor Chanyeol seemed to show any surprise, seeing him constantly enveloped in Minseok’s arms. They were both busy doing something else, he knew it, but still, it felt unreal. Still, he was so happy.

Minseok’s lips were still pressed on his nape, and slowly, when the initial outburst of emotion subsided, Luhan began to feel his body starting to burn to get the closest he could to him. He wanted Minseok to hold him, to _crush_ him, if it even made any sense. He wanted to feel everything of him, now that they’d been forced apart. How many days had it been? Two? Three? He lost count, but it felt like an eternity, even if it was just a short time. He couldn’t even think about Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s agony, during the time the both of them didn’t even know if their mate was dead or alive.

Yixing’s forehead was beaded with sweat, while he was engrossed in the difficult task of healing Baekhyun, and the Chinese doctor, as well as Taeyeon, kept wiping it while assisting him. 

Nobody would have minded, if they just sneaked out of there to get some privacy. «Come» he murmured, leading Minseok away from the room.

In the corridor, two Yitiao Langs glanced at them, but they didn’t say anything. If someone recognized Minseok, nobody actually showed it.

Luhan didn’t know where he was going, but the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters looked like a huge, underground gallery to him. There were no windows, just air conditioners which provided fresh air to breath, and the way everyone who wasn’t ready to fight kept going on dressed like in ancient China made everything feel vaguely ethereal, almost dream-like. He was leading Minseok holding his hand so tightly that his sweaty, smaller one was about to slip out of his grip.

«Here» Minseok whispered, pulling him inside of a small utility room, before closing the door behind them. It was barely a room, more like a closet packed with food supplies, and it left them very little room to move, but they didn’t need much, Luhan thought. They were just overwhelmed by their unexpected closeness, by the heat of their bodies and the strength of their mutual feeling.

Minseok pressed him against the closed door, almost hurting him, but it felt so _right_ that Luhan moaned wantonly, his voice muffled against the alpha’s shoulder. They didn’t have any time for softness and gentleness. They were in a hurry, and they needed each other urgently.

Minseok’s lips collided with Luhan’s jaw, devouring his face in kisses. Their mouths found each other in the darkness, meeting sloppily, hungrily. «I missed you so much» Minseok panted, right into Luhan’s mouth. «So, so much.»

Luhan keened, feeling his hard cock press onto his thigh. Minseok was a little shorter than him, and his unusual features made him look young and somehow innocent, but he’d seen the pain deeply buried inside of him, and he knew how it felt. He felt so connected to him, in that moment, so bound together, that he couldn’t refrain from taking his face between his hands, holding it lovingly in spite of the lust that was running into his veins.

Minseok’s almond-shaped eyes met his, and everything suddenly changed. Their kisses turned gentler, their hands roaming all over their bodies became softer, sneaking underneath the many layer of clothing to reach for their bare skin.

Luhan could feel Joonmyeon’s mark on his neck tingle slightly, like warning him about what he was about to do.

«Minseok» he whispered, his lips against the alpha’s cheek, «make me yours. I want you to claim me as yours.»

He felt him shiver against him, while a shadow fell behind his dark irises. Luhan knew that shadow. It was Minseok’s inner darkness, which inhabited his mind and heart and never really stopped tormenting him. It was the guilt that still made him wake up at night yelling, the feeling of being inadequate, of being out of place that never stopped clawing at his throat when he believed he was feeling finally good.

«Baekhyun told me everything» he murmured, «he told me you’re innocent.»

Minseok jerked away from him, but Luhan firmly held him in place. He let him struggle, though, holding onto him until the alpha’s movements slowed down and he stilled, resting his forehead against his shoulder.

«You are innocent, my love» he repeated, gently. «Please, let yourself believe it too, since it’s the truth.»

Minseok’s head turned slightly, so that his warm breath wetted the side of Luhan’s neck, right over Joonmyeon’s mark. The scar suddenly stung, and Luhan trembled slightly, but he didn’t loosen his grip on his lover.

«I’m sorry I doubted you, love. I’m so sorry. Our puppy and me, we’ll both be by your side, from now on. We’ll never let you down again. Never. I swear.»

Minseok whimpered softly, and Luhan felt the alpha’s warm palm coming to rest over his belly. The weird sensation he felt beforehand hit him again, the vague feeling of a slight movement somewhere deep inside of him, of something or someone coming to life.

Minseok kept silent, unable to talk. Luhan stroked his spiky hair, his face, his back, unable to stop touching him. The alpha looked somewhat unfocused, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. Then, slowly, he started falling on his knees, and Luhan reached out for him, afraid he could faint, but then he felt Minseok’s head press gently over his belly, while the alpha kissed it gently.

Luhan was overwhelmed by the strength of that emotion.

«Luhan» Minseok breathed against his belly, his cheek pressed firmly against their son or daughter growing inside of it, «Luhan.»

Gently, Luhan helped him on his feet again and he faced him again, kissing him on his lips.

«I want the whole world to know that I’m yours» he said, «I don’t want to hide anymore.»

Minseok’s dark eyes met his. «Will... will it hurt our baby? I don’t want to hurt him, or you.»

Luhan kept stroking him, reassuring him with his body language, because it felt like it was way stronger than any word he could spill.

He braced himself against the door while Minseok fumbled with his pants. He hissed, gritting his teeth when his lover hands reached out to lift his silk robes, revealing the glistening traces of slick trickling down his inner thigh.

He impaled himself on Minseok’s hard cock, whimpering softly when he entered him in a single, swift motion. It hurt, but it felt so right, so perfect inside of him. It was different from everything he pictured in his mind while he still lived his little, insignificant life of a common human teenager, so different from every silly thing about love and sex he learnt through the TV or his friends’ chatters, but still, it was okay like that. They were not humans, they were wolves. And they were made of violence, of fangs and claws ready to hurt.

His head fell back while Minseok began to move. Pleasure and pain mingled together, before the most amazing sensation hit him like a hammer when the alpha’s hot cock stroked right over his prostate. He orgasmed quickly, shaking and spasming in his lover’s powerful hold, and then he felt it, clearly like never before, Minseok’s lips over Joonmyeon’s mark.

«Do it» he encouraged him softly, «do it. Please.»

Minseok bit him hard, claiming him as his mate.


	11. Eleven

They both fell on the floor, panting, hitting their feet and elbows against the shelves and the storage boxes all around. Minseok’s teeth were still sunk into Luhan’s flesh, and he could feel the wound pulsing slightly. His heart was pounding, and his arms shook while he kept his mate the closest he could.

Minseok let him go, then he licked gently at the fresh wound, wiping the faint trace of blood away. «Does it hurt a lot?»

Luhan was still lost in a daze, and he kept his eyes tightly shut, because if he tried opening them, the room would start spinning madly. «No» he replied, «but I feel dizzy.»

Minseok shifted so that Luhan could lean his forehead over his shoulder. «I think you’re aware of the fact that the difficult part actually starts now, aren’t you?»

Luhan stroked Minseok’s hair. «Yes, I am. But I’m sick of lying to my pack. I want them to know the truth... and I want them to stop hating you.»

«This won’t be easy, you know.» He touched around Luhan’s wound, worried, but the bleeding already stopped. «Even if Baekhyun and maybe Chanyeol could stand for me, I don’t think they’ll automatically change their minds. Jongdae and Joonmyeon lost a puppy and their happiness, because of the war. Also, they made an alliance with Jinki and the hunters, now. I’m afraid there’s no way to get out of this mess without putting everyone in danger.»

Luhan reached out for a kiss, tasting the slight tang of his own blood on the alpha’s lips. Minseok’s hand came to rest over his belly, caressing it gently. «Also, love... we still aren’t sure I’m the father of this little one.»

Luhan’s face contracted, while Minseok kissed his brow. He’d just voiced out one of his deepest fears, and it felt terrible hearing it straight from his lips.

They both closed their eyes, basking in their comforting scent and warmth. Then, Luhan found the courage to talk. «I had a dream, just recently» he murmured, «I dreamt about me being about to deliver, and you were by my side, not Joonmyeon. And we were both excited and worried at the same time, because we couldn’t wait to hold our daughter in our arms.»

Minseok let out a shaky sigh, and Luhan held him tighter. «Really?» the alpha asked, in a strained voice. «A baby girl?»

They stayed together for a while, until Luhan felt better and could actually stand on his own feet. «We should check if Baekhyun’s condition has improved» Minseok suggested, and the omega nodded, leaning onto him to steady himself.

In the room, they found Baekhyun sleeping, comfortably curled on his side. Chanyeol, who was dozing off by him, turned his head when he saw them.

«Taeyeon and Yixing both went to sleep» he whispered, when he joined them on the threshold. «They were exhausted.»

«How’s he?» Luhan asked, anxious.

«Better» Chanyeol replied, with a tired smile, «Yixing said he’ll recover soon, and that our puppy seems to be safe.»

A little awkward silence fell among the three of them, while they all averted their gazes, afraid for what would come next. «I... I don’t even know what to say» Chanyeol began, after a long while, «I owe you so much. I was losing hope, you know. I was starting to believe I should have begun to accept that he could be dead, but a part of me kept refusing to do it, even if it was growing weaker and weaker with time.» The tall alpha raised his gaze, and Luhan was stunned to see the tears glistening in his eyes. «I’m sorry if I mistreated you, Minseok, and I’m sorry if I’ve been rude to you, Luhan. You guys... you helped me getting back the most precious things I had in my life, my mate and my son. I hope you can forgive me.»

Minseok was the first one who reacted to that heartfelt speech. «It’s okay, pal» he said, enveloping Chanyeol in a bear hug. It was weird to see the tall alpha hunch over to wrap his long arms around the smaller wolf’s waist, but Luhan thought it felt nice as well. Finally something was starting to change.

«But you guys are really something» Chanyeol said, when he parted from Minseok. «I mean, you managed to keep your relationship a secret from a whole pack without getting caught. It must have been difficult!»

«I’m sorry» Luhan murmured, guessing it was his turn to apologize. «We didn’t want to deceive you and the others. Just... Joonmyeon’s claim made everything complicated.»

Chanyeol stared at him, focusing on the fresh scar on the side of his neck. «How long have you two been together?»

Luhan held Minseok’s hand tight. «Almost four months, by now.»

«Oh» the alpha blinked, collecting the dots, «this means...»

«Yeah. It began straight when you and Kai brought me into the pack. The night Joonmyeon marked me, I immediately felt deeply drawn towards Minseok, even if I didn’t know who he was yet.»

«Wait, wait. But you’re pregnant with Joonmyeon’s puppy, aren’t you?»

Luhan shivered. Was he really ready to tell the truth? «I’m not sure, actually» he replied, softly, «since that night also Minseok knotted me.»

Chanyeol stared at him, his eyes wide. Then, slowly, he looked at Minseok, who quickly averted his gaze. Then he started pulling at his own earlobe, worried.

«Fuck. You were right, it’s complicated. Fuck.»

The silence dragged on, while Luhan kept clutching at Minseok’s hand as if it could be his lifesaver. Finally, though, Chanyeol decided to speak.

«I don’t know how we could solve this mess, guys» he admitted, «really, I have no idea. All I know is that I will do my best to talk with Joonmyeon when we get back, hoping he won’t be too mad at me for running away in the dead of the night like a thief. I’ve never heard of a double claim before... I really don’t know what’s the pack’s custom about this issue. But only a blind man, I think, wouldn’t see the way you guys look at each other.»

Luhan felt an immense gratitude spread through his chest. «Thanks» he whispered. «It means a lot, to me. To us» he corrected himself, when he felt Minseok’s thumb stroke his hand. «It means a lot to us.»

«Man» Chanyeol commented, with a half smile, «I must have been really stupid, not to realize about it sooner. You look so married.»

Luhan blushed, while Minseok smiled back. «Thanks for your support, Chanyeol, really.»

«It’s a relief seeing that you are all safe and healthy» a voice rang in the corridor, startling them.

The wolves turned, seeing Kibum walk towards them. «How’s Baekhyun? Is he feeling better?»

«Yeah» Chanyeol replied, stretching out his hand, «and I guess I have to thank you for it, as well as my friends.»

The human shook his hand with a warm smile. Now that he wasn’t together with the hunters anymore, Luhan thought he looked different. He was usually a discreet, barely noticeable presence, who very rarely spoke or talked aloud, always a little detached from the others, always slightly apart from the rest of them. Now that he was in his element, he looked calmer, more collected and sure of himself, and he looked at people straight in the eyes, like a real leader.

«Hello, Luhan» he said, «I’m happy to see you are well.»

«Thank you for what you did for me» Luhan replied earnestly. «You saved me and my puppy.»

Kibum smiled again, then he sighed softly. «Can we sit somewhere and talk comfortably? There are a few things we need to discuss together.»

Chanyeol went into the room. «I’ll wake up  Yixing.»

Luhan looked around until he met one of the Yitiao Langs, who showed him a small dining room, furnished with a low table and pillows, where they could sit and have a meeting. Various bowls of food were already displayed on the table, and he felt his stomach rumbling at the sight of the food. He was starving, since he hadn’t touched anything for many hours.

A very sleepy and drained-looking Yixing joined them, along with Chanyeol. «Taeyeon will keep an eye on Baekhyun» the alpha announced, before taking his seat and starting to help himself with the food. He had a strong appetite, and Luhan smiled seeing the way he kept stuffing his mouth. Chanyeol was put through a lot of stress, just like him and his mate, and he was obviously compensating with food. He wondered why he never really got close with him before, since he seemed the nice and straight-forward kind. Sometimes, life was really weird.

«How’s the pack?» Minseok asked. «How did they take our getaway?»

Kibum sighed, putting down the dumpling he’d been absently munching on. «They’re angry and confused, as you can imagine. You ran away in the middle of the night, and they realized just in the morning. Sehun was on watch, and the others blamed it on him, since he’s young and still inexperienced, but the real matter is that I have the feeling that Jinki is starting to suspect something.»

«Fuck» Chanyeol commented. «Asshole. I knew something was off with him. I should have convinced Joonmyeon to refuse his help from the start.»

«I mean, it’s just plain weird that Luhan disappeared into thin air, and that an alpha and a beta left the pack without any real reasons to.»

«Do you mean he’s suspecting of you?» Luhan asked, worried.

«I’m afraid so» Kibum softly replied. «This is why I’m here. I can’t expose myself to any danger, right now. I can’t abandon my pack. It’s too important, for me.»

He paused, pouring some tea into a cup. «When my mate died, I wasn’t willing to take command of the pack. I mean, look at me: I’m not even a wolf. I ran away, at first, I’m not ashamed to say it aloud. Just when I realized that the pack itself was being torn apart from rebellious factions and runaway members, I decided to get back. I couldn’t let what my mate carefully put together fall apart. I owed it to him. I just couldn’t keep hiding without doing nothing.»

 _Mate,_ Luhan thought. Kibum kept repeating that word, when he wasn’t even a wolf. Still, he considered himself and his deceased partner proper mates, as if that word didn’t just involve marks, knots and other power dynamics, but had a deeper, more emotional meaning. He agreed with him fully, because he always felt that his connection with Minseok was stronger than everything he could have with Joonmyeon, who theoretically could be considered his mate as well.

«I couldn’t let the Yitiao Langs fall apart» Kibum concluded, «so I took the command. Many supported me, but many others didn’t. I had to suppress every rebellion with force. It was hard... but it had to be done.»

«When did you decide to infiltrate into Jinki’s group?» Yixing asked, talking for the first time. Surprisingly enough for Luhan, who always considered him as a gentle and supporting presence, he didn’t look much impressed with Kibum’s words. Maybe he was just regretting leaving the pack without looking into things too much, but Luhan was sure there was something more.

«The reason is very simple, actually.» Kibum closed his eyes. «I want him dead.»

«You could just kill him anytime» Yixing argued.

«Yixing» Chanyeol warned him, but the healer seemed determined not to let it slide.

«If you were seeking for revenge so badly, you could have done it countless times. When he was asleep. When he was in a vulnerable position. Don’t you think so?»

«Yixing» Chanyeol insisted, «aren’t you being too harsh?»

«I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can sympathise easily with someone who killed innocent creatures along with a group of assassins.»

The accusation fell among them like a sharp knife. Chanyeol, who had been about to say something, just shut his mouth, waiting for Kibum’s reaction. It was a perfectly right observation, after all.  

«I know it’s hard to believe» the human quietly replied, «and I’m aware my own hands are still stained with blood. But it was necessary in order to save you all.»

Yixing pursed his lips in a mocking way. «How generous of you.»

«I entered the hunters’ group because I heard that Jinki was desperately looking for a pregnant omega wolf. I wasn’t worried for the Yitiao Langs’ safety, since we don’t have any omega at the moment and none of them is allowed to leave the headquarters without my precise order. My men found Baekhyun wandering in our territory after the War of Blood, and they immediately convinced him to take shelter in this place. But when I heard about Jinki being ally with a demon, I knew his next step would be luring another omega into the Neugdaes in order to set him pregnant somehow and capture him later.»

«Makes sense to me» Chanyeol agreed, but Yixing said nothing. Luhan was worried for his silence, because it looked full of malevolence.

He was so engrossed in that kind of thoughts that he jumped when Minseok’s hand came to grip his under the table. «Why does he want an omega so badly? What does he want from Luhan?»

Kibum stared at him. «Apparently, he needs a medicine. Something that could be distilled just from a heavily pregnant omega’s liver.»

Luhan’s insides twisted at the mere thought, and he desperately clutched at his mate’s hand. Minseok let his arm slide around his waist, keeping him close.

«But why?» Chanyeol insisted. «To sell it? To make money?»

«No» Kibum revealed, «he needs it for himself. He has a terminal illness, and the doctors said he doesn’t have much time left.»

The wolves around the table fell silent. Now, Luhan thought, everything made suddenly much more sense. A reason like that could explain Jinki’s desperation to seek for an omega, and his Machiavellian plotting to get one. Also, it always struck him how the human’s relationship with Taemin felt strangely forced, as if he’d never do something like that, if he hadn’t been forced to. It was pretty obvious that he couldn’t control the demon fully... and knowing the demon’s passion for deals, Luhan was sure that Taemin requested a very high price to Jinki for his favour.

«Before killing him, I needed to hide somewhere safe Luhan and Baekhyun. But since I don’t know the whereabouts of Jinki’s pact with Taemin, and I seriously doubt Jonghyun and Minho know as well, my hands are tied. Also, I didn’t want to put into any unnecessary danger the Neugdaes, as well as the witches.»

«But this means that we’re struck here as well» Chanyeol said. «Following your reasoning, we can’t do anything but wait for Jinki’s next move.»

«Precisely» Kibum approved, and he was about to go on when Yixing abruptly interrupted him.

«Have you completely lost your mind? Can’t you really guess what Jinki’s next move will be? He’s no idiot. He’ll gather soon that Kibum’s sudden disappearance is linked to our getaway, and he’ll blame the Neugdaes for it. You put our brothers on the line.»

Luhan’s heart sank. Yixing had a point.

«Sometimes» Kibum murmured, «you have to choose the lesser evil.»

«This is unfair» the healer exploded. «In order to make your enemy die, you’ve sentenced our pack to death.»

«Yixing is right» Chanyeol agreed, «we cannot accept this. Is there’s to fight, we need to fight along with our brothers. We can’t hide like rats while their lives are at stake.»

Kibum was silent, accepting all those accusations, and Luhan was torn between the need of understanding his doings and the worry for his friends. He thought in particular of Jongdae and Sehun, those who he loved the most, but actually he cared for all of them. Joonmyeon too, even if the mere thought of him learning about his new mark scared him.

«There might be a solution, though» Chanyeol suggested.

«I can’t see any other solution» Yixing angrily spat, but Chanyeol hushed him.

«What do you mean?» Minseok asked, talking for the first time after a long while.

The alpha leaned his elbow over the table. «We might just deceive Jinki, luring him away from the pack, this way it will be easier for us getting rid of him. We’ll need the witches’ collaboration to neutralize Taemin, but I think it might work.»

«He won’t leave his position easily» Minseok warned him, but Chanyeol shook his head.

«I’ve thought about it as well» he said. «We just need a bait.»

«A bait?»

«Yeah. A bait. If we somehow make him believe that there’s an omega available away from here...»

«I won’t agree to such a foolish plan» Yixing retorted, but Minseok kept talking.

«You are good at haltering scents, right? Like making essences.»

«Yeah» the healer frowned, «but I can’t understand how...»

«I’m small» Minseok explained, «and I might look like an omega. If you somehow halter my scent, making it smell like an omega, it might really work. I might hide my face with a hood or something.»

Yixing was looking at him, suddenly attentive. «You are right» he said, «it might work.»

«Good idea» Chanyeol agreed. «We might let Taeyeon back to Yoona, this way she’ll be force to honour the pact and help us taking Taemin down...»

«No.»

Luhan didn’t realize he talked aloud until the whole table turned to look at him. «No» he repeated, «I won’t let you do anything this foolish.»

He was about to say something, though, when he felt a very distinct movement inside of his belly. His puppy was moving, he was sure of it. «Oh...» he breathed, putting his hands right below his pants’ belt, «oh my God.»

Minseok’s hand came to cover his. «This is for you» he said, softly, «and for her. For our baby girl. Don’t you believe so?»

Luhan threw his arms around him, holding him the tightest he was capable of. He knew he was right... but he was so afraid for him, and for himself as well.


	12. Twelve

Luhan’s stomach was rumbling, and Minseok chuckled when he saw him blush in embarrassment. «I’m sorry, I was so engrossed in our conversation, beforehand, that I forgot to eat.»

«Stay put» the alpha told him, «I’ll go and grab something for you.»

Luhan watched him as he put on some clothes and went past the door, thinking absent-mindedly that his ass was a perfectly fine work of art. He closed his eyes, sighing contentedly against the soft pillows. After the meeting, Yixing went straight to work again to put together an essence strong enough to halter Minseok’s scent, and Luhan actually stayed with him for a while, worried for his grim mood. The healer worked silently along with the Yitiao Langs’ doctor, mixing various liquids in a sort of laboratory, and he looked perfectly at ease with test tubes and stills. He basically ignored Luhan’s presence for the whole time, until Chanyeol showed, announcing that Baekhyun had just woken up, so he went to check if he was alright. When he got back in the laboratory, he looked so tired and beaten that Luhan felt the sudden need to hug him tightly. The healer just let him, without showing any real emotion. Luhan was worried for that absence of reactions, and he couldn’t understand why he looked so resentful towards Kibum before.

«You need to give him some time» Minseok explained him, «he feels conflicted because he’s torn between what he was before leaving the Yitiao Langs and what he’s become now. Also, he’s an amazing healer, and it’s obvious that the Chinese wolves had to suffer a lot because of his getaway. I think he’s mad at himself for running away without considering the consequences for the pack.»

Luhan and him were given a small room where they could chill and share some time together. It was small and without windows like all the chambers in the underground headquarters, but it was nicely furnished with paper lamps, screens and a huge futon decorated with many fluffy pillows, which Luhan adored. They asked for some hot water, and when a Yitiao Lang brought them a big tub filled with steamy water, they laughed together. It felt weird, almost old-timey, as if they were trapped in a place that was totally unaware of the actual flowing of time and progress.

They had fun taking turns getting into the tub, quickly washing themselves in the knee-length water and scrubbing at each other’s backs with a towel. It felt refreshing, being together doing normal things like that, without the need of hiding and keeping everything a secret. Luhan screamed when Minseok smacked his ass with the wrung up towel, then he chased him around while he ran around the room, stark naked, and they both fell on the floor laughing madly. The alpha’s body was covered in scars and marks of old wounds, the bigger one the recent gash he got on his back. Luhan traced them all with his fingers, kissing them one by one while they laid together on the pillows, their eyelids getting heavy.

He was about to fall asleep when Minseok returned with some snacks. He smiled, making some room for him, and they sat comfortably to munch on the food. Luhan couldn’t stop staring at the way Minseok’s glossy lips pursed and parted while he ate, and soon he was reaching out for a kiss.

Every time their lips met, his heart leaped. It wasn’t properly a sexual sensation... well, lust was there, obviously, but it was something deeper, more meaningful.

«I don’t think I ever told you properly» Luhan murmured, «but you might be the prettiest wolf I ever met in my whole life. Your eyes, your face, your mouth... everything about you is amazing.»

«Are you kidding me?» the alpha replied, placing small adoring kisses on Luhan’s cheeks, «that has to be my line. Where shall I see again such a cute nose?» And he playfully pinched at Luhan’s nose, making him squirm. But instead of backing away when he tried hitting him, Minseok actually leaned over and trapped him between his arms, kissing him passionately.

Luhan found himself with his back pressed over the soft mattress, with the alpha heaving on top of him, his still naked body pressing against Minseok’s clothed hardness.

He wanted him so much.

He pushed him back, reversing their positions so that he could be on top. «These» he breathed, tugging at Minseok’s pants, «off.» 

The alpha wriggled his eyebrows at him. «Needy, aren’t we?»

Luhan’s only answer was grinding his hips against him, tracing the bulge in Minseok’s pants with his fingertips. «I don’t think I’m the only one.»

«You little...»

Minseok grabbed his wrists, struggling, but Luhan didn’t give up easily, fighting him back with surprising force. He liked that power play, the shiver of helplessness and submission that went through his whole body when he was being pushed down on the mattress. It was so hot... and it was so _wolfish_. So perfectly fitting with his newly found, and newly appreciated, real nature.

While keeping him pinned against the pillows, Minseok’s mouth wandered, nipping at his smooth skin. Luhan shivered when the alpha’s wet mouth traced his side and hipbone, actually menacing to travel towards lower regions. Even if they were rolling around like idiots, Minseok never forgot about his delicate state, always avoiding any firm pressure or accidental blow aimed at his belly. It felt touching... and also strangely hot. Luhan loved both sides of his mate, the caring and the feral one. He loved them both, because they were both part of him.

He distracted Minseok with a kiss on his lips before pushing him on the mattress again, straddling him with his slender thighs to keep him in place. That was his turn to lick and gnaw at his body, making him shiver and shake and whimper in that _oh so delicious_ way.

Always holding his wrists firmly in place, he reached out to unzip the fly of his pants. «You’d better expect a punishment for this» Minseok hissed, when Luhan freed his erection, which sprang free out of its restraints, curling against his lower belly.

«Mmm» Luhan hummed, grinding his hips against him. «I really hope so.»

«Who are you? What did you do to my innocent Luhan?»

Luhan grinned mischievously before bowing his head and licking tentatively around Minseok’s bellybutton. His abs there were firm and tense, his skin hot against his heated cheek.

He slowly travelled lower, kissing the base of Minseok’s cock, which felt firm and palpitating in his hand. He was shocked when he felt the alpha’s pulse on the bulging blue vein he could see running across it, and he thought it didn’t look as intimidating as he thought the first time they mated. They never had any other complete intercourse besides of that time, actually, and the hunger inside of him had been just increasing and increasing.

He ghosted his lips along Minseok’s cock, relishing in the soft moans escaping from his lover’s mouth, then he licked around the tip. He dipped his tongue in the slit, teasing it gently before parting his lips to accommodate the most he could inside of his mouth. Minseok bucked his hips at the sudden sensation, but Luhan still held him still, preventing him from thrusting forward the way he’d liked to. He was in control, this time. He was the one who was taking decisions.

He stroked the shaft with his fist, feeling the knot take form around the base. It felt firmer, thicker than the rest, which was hard but strangely soft and velvety to the touch. Luhan couldn’t take much of the length inside of his mouth, since it was getting bigger.

Finally, Minseok gave in, shoving Luhan on his back again and pressing firmly onto him. His legs were forced apart, revealing his already wet opening, and the omega shivered when he tasted that feeling of submission again. He knew his lover would never hurt him, though... and this made a potentially dangerous, sexy game turn into something playful and hot at the same time.

Minseok lowered his head, nosing into the crook of Luhan’s neck while he entered him excruciatingly slowly. They both moaned, lost in the feeling of being together. They had been missing each other terribly, and now they were finally reunited.

«When you disappeared, previously, I thought I lost you forever» Minseok whispered, his voice coming out muffled against Luhan’s skin. «I couldn’t tell anyone. It was just me and my misery... it was unbearable.»

Luhan sighed and held him close, feeling a suspicious wetness spread over his chest. He didn’t expect his mate to cry, since he very rarely showed his needier side, but he knew he had a hard time, being stuck with the Neugdaes while Kibum and his men brought him away. «I am so sorry» he murmured. «I am so sorry, love. But now it’s me, who’s scared for you. This mission... the plan to lure Jinki away, it’s so dangerous. A part of me wants that man to die and rot in hell for all the terrible things he did... but I also want you to be safe.»

Minseok propped himself on his elbows, shifting a little inside of Luhan as well, making him gasp and shudder. Their eyes met, the alpha’s ones still glossy with tears but also filled with determination. «I will be back» he said, «I promise. I won’t let a simple man destroy what we built up together.»

«I know,  Minseok... but I’m so scared.»

The alpha kissed him sweetly. «Don’t. Don’t be. I won’t abandon you, never. I am yours and you’re mine, remember?»

Luhan sighed. They never talked so openly about their feelings, before. It felt so perfect, being together like that.

Slowly, keeping their bodies tightly locked together, Minseok rolled on his back, helping Luhan on top of him. «You decide the pace» he whispered softly, spreading his arms on the silky mattress.

Luhan started to move, throwing his head back, his mouth gaping open while he rocked his hips gently. Minseok was big and hot inside of him, and he could already feel his knot tugging at his rim. He slowed down, hoping to let it last the longest possible. He bent down to kiss him, stroking feverishly Minseok’s damp hair and face.

«I love you so much» he whispered, stilling his hips completely to let the tension dissipate before beginning to move again, a delicious torture. Minseok’s flushed face was beautiful, under him.

When he grabbed him and reversed their positions again, Luhan moaned loudly, lost in the pleasure while Minseok started pounding hard inside of him. This time he clearly felt the knot being pushed forcefully past his ring, before filling him with the hot rush of seed.

Minseok trembled before falling on top of him, hiding his face in the crook of his neck again. Luhan hugged him loosely, his limbs not really responding to his commands, while he could still feel the knot pulsing softly inside of him.

«Hey, you» he said, his voice trembling slightly, «are you perhaps trying to make me pregnant again?»

Minseok let out a quivering laughter, sending vibrations all over Luhan’s body. «God» he murmured, «so intense.»

Luhan hummed softly, guiding Minseok’s hand over his belly, where he could feel his puppy move.

\---oOo---

Yixing stayed up all night to work on the essence. When Luhan heard someone knock softly on their door, he knew the moment to part again had come.

He considered pretending to be asleep to gain a few minutes more, but he knew it would be useless. He disentangled himself from Minseok’s arms before putting on his silk robe. When he opened the door, he found a very drained-looking Yixing waiting for him.

«I know you guys needed your private moment» the healer murmured, «I’m sorry to spoil it like this. Taeyeon went meeting Yoona along with a couple Yitiao Langs to take accords about a certain ritual the witches will need to perform in order to block Taemin’s powers. We can’t waste any time.»

He was looking so miserable that Luhan didn’t think twice before reaching out to pull him in a gentle hug. The beta tried resisting, but then he just gave in, leaning on Luhan with a heavy sigh.

«You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?» Luhan asked. «That I was seeing Minseok.»

Yixing lowered his chin, embarrassed. «Yes» he replied.

«And you never told anything to Joonmyeon. Why?»

Yixing cleared his throat. «I know... I _knew_ something was wrong with your pregnancy. Even if you forgot to take the second pill, the first one I gave you should have been enough to prevent you from getting pregnant from that single mating. The only possible explanation could be that you actually engaged in another one, later in time. And since you carried Minseok’s scent along a lot, in those days, I simply collected dots.»

Luhan looked at him in the eyes. «Thank you for your loyalty» he said, «I mean it. Thank you.»

«Loyalty» the beta repeated, snorting. «I left my own pack to get into another, and then I left that one as well. I’m afraid I don’t know much about loyalty.» And he actually started tearing up, wiping angrily at his runny nose. «It’s so difficult, Luhan. I came here without any hesitation, since Chanyeol was concerned about Baekhyun, but now I feel terrible. The Yitiao Langs were devastated by many losses, since my runaway, and I can’t help but feeling responsible. The Neugdaes have been my family for a while... but this is my home.»

Luhan just held him, letting him cry. He owed so much to Yixing, but he kept struggling to find the right words to soothe him. “It’s okay” just didn’t seem right.

«For Yi Fan and Tao was never like that» the healer went on, «you saw how they are. They weren’t fitting among the Yitiao Langs since the start... they were too rebellious. Then, Tao found his mate among the Neugdaes, and Yi Fan immediately got accepted as well. Everyone was nice to me, I tried doing my job the right way, but really... I always felt slightly out of place, as if everything was just a phase. I kept thinking about coming back.»

Luhan stroked his face, which was contorting in a grimace. «And now, I’m sentencing your mate to death.»

Luhan’s heart sank. «Don’t talk nonsense, you silly» he tried encouraging him, «you said it. Taeyeon and her fellow witches will help us. It’s going to be okay.»

«It’s going to be hell» Yixing corrected him, still wiping his nose in a cute way, almost like a little kid. Luhan kept comforting him for a while, until the healer actually felt a little better. «Oh, I was forgetting about it. Baekhyun’s awake and way better. He’s not completely out of danger yet, but he’s improving and in a good mood. Would you like seeing him?»

Luhan smiled. «Yes.»

Yixing shot a weird glance to him. «I don’t think it will be long until his puppy will be born... and it will be difficult for him, since he’s so delicate. Also, if we’re really going all out on Jinki, we’ll need Chanyeol to fight as well. He’ll need your help and your support.»

«I’ll do all  I can» Luhan replied quickly, before wondering what Yixing really meant. Was he asking him to assist the omega during the delivery? It was a pretty scary perspective, since he knew absolutely nothing about babies and stuff. Then, a sudden thought struck him.

«Yixing» he said, «our friend is going to be alright, isn’t he?»

The healer kept avoiding his gaze. «I sincerely hope so, Luhan» he replied, earnest, «but I can’t foresee what will happen. For an omega, childbirth is always a difficult matter, and since he’s already so weak...» He shook his head. «I don’t know. The puppy seems healthy enough to me, but it’s him, who I’m actually worrying about.»

«Did you tell Chanyeol?»

«Not yet. I needed to be sure first, and I got some tests’ results just before coming here. I’ll give you this» he added, handing Luhan a small vial, «it’s the essence supposed to halter Minseok’s scent. It’s strong enough to defy an alpha wolf’s nostrils, but I don’t know if Taemin will fall for this trick, since we don’t know much about him and the true amount of his power.»

«Thanks.» Luhan took the glass vial with trembling hands. It was filled to the brim with a transparent liquid, and if he sniffed around the cap he could smell something weirdly familiar. «Might this be... Kyungsoo’s scent?»

Yixing managed to snort. «He gave me his handkerchief previously, and I still had it in my pocket, so I used it to distil the base of the essence. I added the one I got from an hair of yours, and from a few of Baekhyun’s as well. We made it smell by an alpha, and he said it’s very strong.»

Luhan  blinked.  «I don’t know, Yixing... is it some sort of compliment?»

Yixing finally smiled to him, and Luhan felt a little better, even if his heart was still heavy like a stone.

\---oOo---

Luhan briefly went to see Baekhyun, but he didn’t stay long since his friend was still sleepy and dazed. Also, he didn’t want to intrude while Chanyeol was obviously enjoying the very last moments he could share along with his mate before setting their trap ready. The tall alpha was supposed to leave in a few minutes to get back to the Neugdaes to tell Joonmyeon about their plan, while Minseok was supposed to follow him, already in disguise, so that Jinki could detect him and, hopefully, start following him along with his men, detaching himself from the wolves.

Luhan helped him get ready. He rubbed the essence all over his body, insisting behind his ears, on his chest and on his underarm, where the secreting glands were located. It strangely felt like preparing a corpse for the grave, and it made him cringe in fear.

«I love you» Minseok said, before putting on a hooded jacket Kibum gave him. Without his usual boots and almost military pants and jacket, dressed in some jeans and casual sweatshirt, he looked almost ten years younger. A casual observer could easily mistake him for a teen, if he didn’t look too closely.

«I love you» Luhan replied, his throat tight.

None of us had the heart of adding anything. Everything could go smoothly... and everything could go just terribly wrong. That could be the last time they could hold each other while being alive.

Slowly, Minseok leaned over to kiss him. «I’ll be back» he murmured. «I promise.»

«Don’t make foolish promises» Luhan retorted, gritting his teeth, «or you’ll attract bad luck.»

«I said» Minseok repeated, cupping his face between his two hands, «I’ll be back. And you’d better be here waiting for me.»

They kissed again, softly, and then Kibum came to tell Minseok everyone was ready. The alpha turned back just once to wink and wave at Luhan, who weakly smiled back in response, his eyes full of tears.

He hoped he didn’t lie. He just hoped it so much.

Beforehand, Kibum gave him a gun for his personal defence. «Don’t leave Baekhyun’s side, please. Always keep an eye on him. My doctor will assist you if you need any help.»

Luhan silently accepted the gun. It was heavy and menacing, but he always kept it on his side, tucked in the holster attached to the belt Kibum gave him. It made him feel somehow safer, even if he never really fired before.

A few hours passed, and he was sitting by Baekhyun’s bed, waiting for him to wake up to help him eat, until he heard footsteps outside of the closed door.

«Who is it?» Luhan steadied himself, stretching out his arms, fingers curled on the trigger, ready to fire. «Reveal yourself.»

«It’s us» the voice replied, quiet, «Kyungsoo and Kai.»

Luhan felt weak on his knees when he actually recognized the scent of his friends. He ran to open the door, jumping at Kyungsoo and crushing him in a killer hug. «Oh, God, I was so scared. I thought you were the hunters.»

«Nope» Kai replied, entering the room. He was holding what suspiciously looked like a light machine gun. «Joonmyeon sent us to help you with Baekhyun, since Kyungsoo has been instructed on how to assist omegas during childbirth and I’m good at killing people who comes to bother.» The beta shot him a killer smile before reaching out to ruffle his hair. «How have you been, shortie? And how’s Minseok?»

Luhan froze. For a moment they just stared at each other, both unmoving, until Kyungsoo discreetly elbowed his mate.

«Well» the beta muttered, looked sheepish, «I was just suspecting things, and I talked about it only with Kyungsoo. I just thought it was a little weird the way you kept going around while smelling of the... uh, of Minseok, and when Chanyeol came and told us everything...»

Luhan suddenly felt the need of running the farthest he could. «Joonmyeon knows about the whole thing?»

«I’m afraid so» Kai replied with a sigh, scratching at his nape, «he’s coming over, along with Jongdae. And he’s hella mad.»


	13. Thirteen

For the first whole hour after Kai and Kyungsoo’s arrival, Luhan just kept fidgeting, walking in circles along the room, completely restless. «Sit down» Kyungsoo suggested, «will you? Or you’ll end to upset Baekhyun.»

«Hey» the other omega protested, from his bed on the floor, «it’s not like I can’t hear you. I’m not an invalid.»

«Eat your soup, then» Kyungsoo grumbled, «and shut that beak of yours.»

Baekhyun grinned at him, making him squint his eyes in irritation. «I missed you and your sweetness a lot.»

«Eat that fucking soup.»

Baekhyun obeyed to him, but he kept chuckling while winking towards Luhan. The illness made his face thinner, but Baekhyun didn’t seem to have lost his spirit. He kept picking on Kyungsoo, who was as uptight and serious-looking as always, and Luhan had the feeling he was doing it just to cheer him up a little. It was sweet of Baekhyun, really... but the truth was that he was desperately scared because of Joonmyeon and Jongdae’s imminent arrival. And for once, more than his fellow omega and friend’s, he was more worried about the pack leader’s reaction. He wasn’t regretting anything of what he did with Minseok, but he couldn’t forget the way everyone treated him when he joined the pack. He didn’t want to be an outcast... he was too attached to all of them. He just hoped Joonmyeon would show him some mercy.

Surprisingly enough, the one who concretely tried to soothe him was Kai. «You said Yixing basically confirmed that the puppy you’re carrying cannot be Joonmyeon’s right? I mean, it’s not like you’re trying to snatch his offspring of what. Your only crime was disobeying the pack rules and engaging in a secret relationship while you had already been claimed by someone else. I’ve heard worse.»

«You’re too romantic» Kyungsoo intervened, still irritated, «and you aren’t being of any help, sugaring the pill like this. Joonmyeon hates liars.»

«Still» the beta insisted, «he can understand what love is. Don’t worry, Luhan, we’re all rooting for you.»

Luhan looked at him, sceptical, and Kai smiled wide. «Tao, Sehun, even Yi Fan. When we heard about you and Minseok, we all felt better. I don’t know, this whole thing with Joonmyeon seemed doomed from the beginning, and it made us all feel terrible. We’d never wanted you to get pregnant with his puppy, it would have been just too weird. And it would have probably killed Jongdae. And you’re forgetting about another detail. Since now you helped reunite him with Baekhyun, Chanyeol became your first supporter, and since he’s also Joonmyeon’s main counsellor...»

Luhan wanted to believe him, but a part of him kept resisting. Also, that reference to Jongdae made his guts clench. He wasn’t ready to face his friend.

After a couple hours, the couple finally arrived in the Yitiao Langs’ headquarters. Jongdae entered the room first, kneeling down by Baekhyun’s bed without even looking at Luhan. Then, Joonmyeon came following him. «You» he commanded, pointing at Luhan, «get out of here.»

Kyungsoo and Kai exchanged a terrified expression. The pack leader looked furious. «Err, Joonmyeon. Maybe later? Baekhyun might need Luhan’s help as well, and we don’t know when he might be ready to give birth...»

«You.» Joonmyeon repeated, gritting his teeth, « _out_. Immediately.»

Luhan had no other choice but obeying.

In the corridor, the alpha wolf cornered him, his face twisted in a mask of anger. «Did you lose your mind? What the fuck does this mean, now? The Yitiao Langs are our enemies, and we could care less about the hunters’ matters.»

«It was Kibum, who brought me here» Luhan weakly protested, but then Joonmyeon grabbed his vest, exposing his newly-marked neck, and his breath hitched while sheer terror paralyzed him.

«When? When did you get it?»

«Yesterday» Luhan replied. «From Minseok.»

«I knew it was Minseok, you wench. I can smell his stench all over you. I want to know _why_.»

Luhan hesitated, wondering if he really had to tell the truth, but the pack leader shook him violently. «Talk!»

«I... I...» Luhan was quivering in fear. He never saw an angry alpha before, and it was terrifying.

Surprisingly, Joonmyeon let out a pained sound, something in between a cry and a howl. Luhan looked at him, hoping that his fury somehow subsided, and he took a little courage. «The night Yoona triggered my heat, I didn’t mate only with you. When  I was alone in my room, Minseok came to see if I was okay, and... my body took over my mind. We mated, and I forgot to take the second contraceptive pill that Yixing gave me. Since then, we never stopped seeing each other, and our relationship became tighter and tighter. After coming here, I found out that he isn’t responsible for the War of Blood like you guys think.»

«Yes, I’ve been told that» Joonmyeon retorted. Luhan could hear him gritting his teeth in nervousness and tension. «And then?»

«And then we decided we were sick of lying. I’m pregnant with Minseok’s puppy, Yixing confirmed it, and now I’m officially his mate. Also, the Yitiao Langs are collaborating with us to capture Jinki, and they’ve been kind to me...»

«Kind?» Joonmyeon croaked, «did you say _kind_?»

He pushed him against the wall again. «Are you perhaps forgetting» he spat, now absolutely furious, «that these _kind_ wolves slaughtered my puppy and almost killed my mate?»

Luhan lowered his gaze, unable to stand the pain and the rage mixed in the alpha’s eyes. «It... it was just a rebellious faction, Kibum never authorized them to... I thought you guys could understand...»

The pack leader grabbed his collar, showing him against the wall. «Listen very carefully» he hissed, his mouth only a few millimetres away from Luhan’s face, «if you think you can lecture Jongdae or me you’re wrong. Nobody can understand it, what we went through after surviving that atrocious night. You’d deserve to die, just for deceiving me in such a dirty way. I’m being merciful, letting you live, and I’m doing it just in respect of that poor innocent creature growing inside of you.» He stopped, hit by a sudden thought. «You didn’t lie about that as well, did you?»

Luhan choked on his sob. «No» he replied. «I’m sorry, Joonmyeon, I’m so sorry.»

The alpha brutally let him go. «Spare me the whining. You will stay in the pack only until the puppy will be born, then you’ll get the fuck out, as well as your... mate.»

Something twisted inside of Luhan. It was unfair, of Joonmyeon, treating him like a cheap whore. He was the one who came begging to him first. If it wasn’t for Luhan, he’d be dead, at that moment. «I saved your life» he let out, before realizing.

The alpha looked at him, the pain resurfacing in his steel-hard gaze. «Yeah» he said, «and I trusted you from the bottom of my heart. And you betrayed me.»

Luhan was about to reply, when the lights in the corridor suddenly went down.

«What the fuck is going on?»

The ground under his feet started shaking, while stones and pieces of plaster crumbled all around. Luhan screamed when Joonmyeon grabbed him and shoved him against the wall, holding him tight against his chest. He was protecting him, Luhan suddenly thought.

The vibrations stopped, and voices started to scream in the darkness. «Joonmyeon!» Jongdae cried from somewhere. «Are you okay?»

«I’m here» the pack leader replied, his voice strained. «We are here.»

The earth shook again, this time sending the both of them on the floor. Luhan instinctively touched around Joonmyeon’s head, feeling blood on his fingers. «Are you okay?»

The alpha wasn’t listening to him. «These are grenades» he whispered. «They’re bombing us while we’re trapped here.»

«What?» Luhan croaked, incredulous.

«Are you deaf? They intend to bury us alive. Something must have gone wrong in your idiotic plan.»

«I can’t believe it.» He managed to pull on a standing position again, and he tried helping Joonmyeon doing the same, but he couldn’t see anything in the darkness, and there were stones all around. He was pretty sure the leader’s head was bleeding, though.

«Kyungsoo! Kai!» Joonmyeon screamed, pushing Luhan away. «Are you okay? Jongdae? JONGDAE!»

«Joonmyeon» the omega’s tiny voice replied from somewhere, «we’re okay, but Baekhyun is...»

«What? What’s wrong?» Luhan could hear Joonmyeon stumbling around, trying desperately to feel the piles of rubble to detect their friends’ position.

«I don’t know» Jongdae’s voice was broken, and Luhan was sure he was sobbing. «He’s been hit by some stones, and I can’t feel his pulse.»

Luhan froze. _It can’t be_.

In that moment, Joonmyeon let out a sharp cry, then he fell over, sobbing desperately. He was wrecked with guilt, Luhan realized, for not having been able to protect all of them. Confusedly, while he tried avoiding the rubble to get closer, he thought that Joonmyeon was a very weird leader, both weak and strong at the same time. Still, he was attached to him like to the rest of the pack.

«What the fuck are you doing?» Joonmyeon roared, when he accidentally stepped on him. He was digging through the stones with his bare hands, trying to reach the room where their friends were trapped.

«I need to get in there» Luhan said, «I’ve been trained for first-aid. I might perform a CPR.»

It was like he could see him frown in the darkness. «Kyungsoo knows some rudiments of herbal medicine...»

«Herbal medicine won’t be of any help without herbs, don’t you think?»

The leader sighed, letting him pass.

«Kai! Can you hear me?»

«Yes» the beta replied. «The ceiling didn’t crumble down, for the moment, but the walls look weak. I don’t think it’s safe moving the rubble right now.»

«Fuck.»

«Baekhyun has some pulse» Kyungsoo confirmed, «but it’s very weak. God, what are we supposed to do?»

Luhan carefully removed some stones, making them roll away. When he felt some warm air blowing on him, he carefully lowered down to check the small opening. «I think I managed to dig a hole» he said, «stay put, I’ll crawl inside.»

«Hurry» Kyungsoo murmured, «please.»

Luhan’s heart was pounding. As if the situation itself wasn’t already terrifying enough, the darkness made everything even more scary. Slowly, carefully, he put the head inside of the hole, hoping it was large enough to accommodate his shoulders and hips. He shielded his middle with his folded arms, hoping the friction wouldn’t affect his puppy. «Someone help me.»

He felt Kai’s calloused hands feeling his face before grabbing around his shoulders to help him crawl through the hole. Luhan gritted his teeth when the stones grazed against his skin, tearing his clothes apart, but he didn’t care. «Thanks» he said. «Help me locate Baekhyun.»

Gently but a little shakily, Kai dragged him until he stumbled across the omega’s supine body. He reached out to feel his throat, detecting only a faint pulse. «He’s bleeding» Kyungsoo whispered, from somewhere in the darkness, and Luhan understood he was crying. «And he stopped breathing. We’re losing him.»

Trying to keep calm, Luhan felt around the omega’s chest, locating his sternum. He blindly reached out to open his mouth and make him gently recline his head back, then he started pressing hard in the middle of his chest, stopping only to breathe some air into his friend.

«What the fuck is happening inside of there?» Joonmyeon roared from the outside. «Kai! Report on me immediately!»

«Luhan is performing some first-aid move on Baek, leader» the alpha replied, sounding shaken, «but I don’t know...»

Luhan continued performing the CPR, but he soon ran out of breath and stamina. Baekhyun still wasn’t reacting.

«I’ll help you» Jongdae murmured, creeping beside him, and Luhan felt immensely relieved.

«Just press, like this» Luhan instructed him, «keep pressing, without stopping.»

Finally, Baekhyun started coughing hard. «He’s alive!» Jongdae yelled. «He’s alive!»

«Stop pressing» Luhan croaked, out of breath. «Help him in a sitting position and check on his head.»

He could hear Joonmyeon cursing while he tried crawling through the same hole he dug some time before. «Is he okay?»

«He’s better» Luhan replied, throwing his arms around both Jongdae and Baekhyun, since the omega was hugging hard the pregnant one. He choked on his own tears when he felt his friends’ fingers close around his own.

In that precise moment, someone started yelling from the outside. «Is there someone down there?»

«It’s Sehun» Kai said. «Oi! We’re here!»

«Kai? Is that you? Tao! I think I heard Kai’s voice!»

«Really?»

«Take cover, guys» the younger beta screamed, «I’m going to set you free!»

Luhan held Jongdae tight, squeezing his eyes shut when the light finally flooded the small room.

\---oOo---

When they were finally safe outside, Luhan was forced to lie down. «Why?» he protested, trying to stand. «I need to… uh.»

«Careful» Sehun held him, preventing him from falling. «You breathed too much dust and shit and you might faint.»

Luhan was actually feeling terribly dizzy, while he laid down and looked around to see if his friends were alright. Just as he expected, Joonmyeon was bleeding from an open wound among his hair, and Tao was holding a clean cloth on it while rummaging in a bag for some bandages. The others looked funny, all covered in dust and rubble, but they seemed to be fine. Kyungsoo was crying buckets on Kai’s chest, who was trying to soothe him rubbing gentle circles on his back, and Jongdae was still kneeling by Baekhyun.

Sehun’s gaze followed Luhan’s. «I’d never hoped to see him alive again» he admitted. «You really made something incredible, helping us reunite out pack like this.»

«Is he okay?» Luhan whispered, his voice somehow failing him.

«The Yitiao Langs’ doctor said he will be» the young beta replied, helping him clean his face with a rag soaked in water. «He has a minor head injury and a broken rib, but your CPR actually saved his life.»

«What happened?»

Sehun sighed. «The plan to lure Jinki away failed. The hunters maybe followed Joonmyeon and Jongdae until here, and then they set some bombs to crush the Yitiao Langs. Tao and me stayed behind just in case something went wrong, and we managed to get them just in time before they set the last charge.»

Luhan’s mind was functioning at half of its usual power. «Yeah?»

«Yep. We captured them and we consigned them to Kibum, he’ll take care of them properly. Jinki and the demon, though, managed to flee.»

«Fuck.»

«There’s something else.» Sehun hesitated, maybe wondering if he was authorised to tell him. «At first, the plan worked. Jinki and the demon immediately detached themselves from the other two guys and went north following Minseok’s trace... but then they realized about the trick and they commanded the other two to attack.»

Luhan blinked, unable to follow that reasoning. «What do you mean?» he asked, his arms unknowingly tightening around his belly. He could feel his puppy move frantically, almost floating around.

Sehun looked at him, desolated. «I’m sorry, Luhan» he murmured, «but Jinki captured Minseok.»

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it's short... but next two chapters will be a bomb and will probably be super long. It will be fifteen chapters in total with an epilogue. I'm sad it's almost over :,(


	14. Fourteen

Around them, Luhan could see only people coughing or groaning, dragging around covered in dust and blood. Yixing and the Yitiao Langs’ doctor were running around like mad, treating those who looked the most serious while Kibum’s men kept extracting bodies and survivors from the rubble. Naturally, Baekhyun had immediately been moved in a safer place, and Yixing immediately took him under his care.

No matter where he looked, the whole scene reminded Luhan of the site of some natural disaster, and Luhan had problems thinking it was happening for real. Also, Sehun’s words made him feel strangely disconnected by the context surrounding them.

«It can’t be» he murmured, blinking. He was feeling light-headed and weak, and he was glad the beta made him lie down before giving him the news. «Are you sure?»

Sehun nodded slowly, stroking his bangs in an affectionate way. «We caught Minho and Jonghyun, but there’s no sign of the jinn and Jinki. Anywhere. Also Minseok seems disappeared into thin air.»

Luhan tried replying with something coherent, but his voice somehow failed him. He kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish, unable to tell anything. _I’ll be back,_ Minseok told him, _you better be waiting for me_. He felt like he was floating underwater, and he could barely hear Sehun, who was still talking.

«Kibum believes he must have a hideout somewhere, a place where he keeps emergency weapons, cash and God knows what else, but he doesn’t know the real location, as well as the other hunters. Only Jinki knows it...»

«Fine» Luhan said, trying to sit down while his head kept spinning. «He must have taken him there. Where’s Kibum? I need to talk to him.»

«You aren’t going anywhere» Joonmyeon growled from behind his back, «you’re under detention until I’ve cleared my mind about the punishment you deserve.»

«Leader» Sehun breathlessly protested, but the alpha cut him off.

«Mind your own business, beta. You’re responsible for his custody, and if he runs away you’ll be punished too.»

Pale as a washed rag, Sehun immediately grabbed Luhan’s elbow, preventing him from walking away. «What does it mean?» Luhan hissed, squirming away.

The leader glared at him. «Shall I really repeat?»

«I asked you what the fuck it means!» Luhan shouted back. He was totally unprepared for what came next, though. Sliding like a ghost from Tao’s weak hold, Joonmyeon closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye. And as he opened his mouth to start yelling again, the pack leader slapped him hard across the face.

«Disrespect me once again, omega, and you’ll regret it forever.»

Sehun helped Luhan to stand, but he was quivering so hard that Luhan almost felt sick. Still, he had no choice but holding onto him to steady himself, because his knees were wobbling. «I... I don’t understand» he whispered. Then, slowly, he started realizing the true meaning of Joonmyeon’s words, and he gasped in horror.

«You... you’re not going to rescue Minseok?»

Joonmyeon just looked at him coldly, and Luhan went berserk. He started squirming madly, while Sehun just threw his arms around him and struggled to keep him in place. «You can’t do it» Luhan cried, «he’s your pack member. You have to go and save him! It’s your duty!»

«This is not our business anymore» Joonmyeon softly said, his gaze vaguely unfocused. «Kibum and maybe the witches will take care of the rest. Minseok is not a part of my pack anymore, since he disobeyed my orders and put his mark on you. That’s how things go.»

«It was my fault... it was me who forced him to mark me!»

«Still, he was one of my alphas, and he owed his loyalty to me. Hence, he’s none of my concerns, now.»

«Shut up!» Luhan cried out. He didn’t want to hear his ramblings. Joonmyeon was just going to take his revenge after all the suffering he endured for losing his puppy, for which he still believed Minseok was the main responsible. He was so stupid, he thought, so lost in his own little world, and he was being so _cheap_ , for just letting Jinki be without doing anything, that it made him feel like puking. There was _evidence_ Minseok wasn’t the one who started the War of Blood, and if Joonmyeon couldn’t understand it then he really was the worst of leaders, and the lowliest of wolves...

And Minseok was trapped somewhere, while a greedy hunter had his claws on him. He could be already dead, for what Luhan knew, or being tortured in order to reveal God only knew what kind of information...

Joonmyeon straightened his back. «I really believed in you, Luhan» he said, regret showing through his strained voice. «It’s my fault as well. I should have kept a closer eye on you, but I guess I just chose to trust you instead.»

Luhan wanted to hold his head up high against Joonmyeon, defending his lover with all his might, but his strength suddenly drained up and abandoned his body, leaving him almost boneless in Sehun’s arms.

«Please, Luhan» the beta begged him, «calm down. Think of your puppy.» He just wanted to soothe him, and maybe to show a little sympathy, but Luhan was too bitter to accept it.

«Do you agree with him? Are you going to do nothing for Minseok too?»

Stuck in the middle, Sehun looked at him helplessly. «I can’t disobey my leader» he whispered, lowering his gaze. «But I’m sorry for the both of you, really.»

«Being sorry isn’t of any help» Luhan growled, shoving his arm away. Sehun immediately grabbed him back, and when he saw his mate struggling, Tao came to help him. That was the moment when Luhan started howling. «Let me go. I swear I’ll hurt you. Let me go, I say. Let me GO!»

The two betas, though, didn’t listen to him, and after exchanging a little nod of agreement between them, started dragging him away. Luhan resisted the best he could, throwing himself on the ground and refusing to move, but he was too slender and light for the two of them, who just lifted him like a sack of potatoes and dragged him away almost effortlessly. Straining to look behind his back, Luhan caught a glimpse of Joonmyeon confabulating with Yixing, maybe asking him to put him under some medications to keep him docile. Jongdae was standing nearby, his arms crossed and his eyes unnaturally wide. He still looked shaken from that night’s events, and Luhan thought that he kept hanging around Joonmyeon as if he was in desperate need of an hug, but the leader was too busy to notice.

It made his heart ache... but it suddenly made him aware that the connection between them was still strong.

«Jongdae» Luhan called him, «please,  Jongdae, you’re my friend. You can’t let them do this to me. He’s my mate, Jongdae, the father of my son. I can’t leave him behind like this.»

The omega looked at him, the weirdest mix of feelings on his face. A part of himself was surely agreeing with Joonmyeon, but there was something else behind his dark eyes, maybe some understanding, and Luhan clutched onto it as if it was a lifesaver. «Jongdae, please. You can understand me. I can’t live without him. I’m sorry for deceiving all of you, I’m so sorry, but what else could I do? I had no choice, and so had him. We couldn’t tell the truth.»

The omega’s hands balled into fists, but his lips stayed shut. He kept looking at him in that intense way, but he wouldn’t say anything.

Luhan didn’t have any strength left to fight. He let himself go limp in the two betas’ hold, letting them drag him away without arguing.

\---oOo---

Sehun wasn’t a good guardian. He was too young and emotional to carry out his task properly, and Luhan was aware of it. He silently accepted the metal cuffs he fastened around his wrists, as well as those around his ankles, and he never looked at him once while the beta hanged around him to check if he was alright. As he guessed, while he was giving him the silent treatment Sehun went through various states of frustration, anger, depression and, finally, desperation, before breaking down and starting to weep like a kid in front of him. Luhan did nothing but stare at him with empty eyes, his mind totally blank.

He wasn’t surprised at all when Sehun called Tao over, but he really had to avert his gaze when Sehun lost it completely in his mate’s arms.

He was sorry for them, but he couldn’t forgive them for agreeing with Joonmyeon. That was too much. They were all basically leaving Minseok to die, and he couldn’t approve of it.

The Neugdaes sort of helped the Yitiao Langs after the bombing accident. They helped Kibum and his men set up many tents to take cover for the night, and a big one for Yixing and his fellow doctor as a temporary clinic. Luhan was sitting right in the middle of a small tent, and he could hear Tao and Sehun talk softly outside. Actually, he could even see their silhouettes through the thin material of the tent, and he envied them a lot. They could be together as much as they wanted, and since they were both betas, they didn’t even need to worry about puppies or other bothersome issues. They were free.

He hugged his knees, feeling lonely and hopeless. Inside of him, though, there was so much anger that it almost scared him, because he never thought himself capable of feeling anything like that.

Actually, he perfectly knew what he needed to do. The only question was, was he really able to carry it out all by himself? He needed his mate back... but he also needed his puppy to be safe. It was risky, but he couldn’t contemplate the perspective of staying there, sitting on his ass doing nothing while Minseok was in danger. It was crazy, but he had to try doing something.

Even if he had to disobey Joonmyeon and betray his pack mates again.

He closed his eyes, emptying his mind from every thought, and he grimaced when he felt his body starting to change, the bones and muscles cracking, modifying their positions while the thick fur started to flow over his skin like water.

He both hated and loved being a wolf. But surely, if he were just a human being he would not have any chance to save his mate.

When he was fully morphed in his wolf form, he shook away from the cuffs and the shreds of his  clothes the most silently he could. From what he could see, though, Tao and Sehun were too busy making out to notice.

He cautiously peeked from the tent’s door, looking around, but for what he could see, everyone was busy doing something. The Yitiao Langs’s headquarters were completely destroyed by the bombs, and there were many wounded people to look after as well as a lot of stuff to get back from under the rubble, like weapons and useful items. When he silently padded by, careful not to be seen, Luhan was not much surprised to notice even some of the witches helping the wolves shovelling. The world was really turning upside down.

Nobody saw him getting silently away in the darkness. He wasn’t that good at orienting himself, because he never really trained his inner wolf, still, he started sniffing around as soon as he jogged north from the disaster site. His sensitive nostrils immediately caught a trace of Minseok’s scent, and he started following it. He walked and walked, until the landscape changed abruptly and the trees disappeared, and when he raised his head he finally recognized where he was.

Those were the outskirts of Seoul, and apparently, Jinki hid Minseok somewhere into town.

A thought crossed Luhan’s mind. Since he was now into town, the town where he lived until Chanyeol and Kai abruptly took him away, he believed he’d better change into his human form. Still, he never learnt how to change without tearing all his clothes apart, finding himself fully naked when he gained his human form back.

He was just wondering what he could do, when he noticed a shop that was still open that late at night, since the window still shone. It was a hunting supplies’ shop, and honestly, he had not much to lose.

When the doorbell rang, the shop assistant, a man in his fifties, immediately came by to greet his customer, but his smile faltered and he started backing away when he say the big caramel-coloured wolf walking in. Luhan growled, and then he changed back, revealing himself in front of the man.

«I’m not here to kill you» he said, stark naked with his arms crossed. «But I guess you can see by yourself that I need clothes and a weapon.»

The shop owner practically crawled in the back of the shop, only to get back quickly carrying out military pants, a jacket, some underwear and a pair of boots, all in S size. Luhan quietly checked the items, then he neatly folded them, while the man hurried here and there to show him various guns and rifles that he believed might be of his interest.

«I’ll take this one» Luhan said, choosing a gun, «but you need to load it with silver bullets.»

The man, who surely never found himself in front of a real werewolf before, kept blinking at him. «S-silver? But...»

«I’m a little in a hurry, you know.»

The man immediately loaded the gun with the correct size of sterling silver bullets. When Luhan took it into his hand, it tingled slightly against his fingers, as if the silver was trying to burn on his skin even from under the metal.

«Will this work against humans too, right?»

The shop assistant nodded frantically. «Yes, sir. It works for men and for enchanted beasts as well, such as...» he paled, unable to go on, but Luhan was already satisfied with his half reply.

«I’ll pay you back, don’t worry» he said. «Do you perhaps know a man called Lee Jinki?»

«Everybody knows him, sir.»

«Good. Where can I find him?»

The man looked at him, gulping down, unable to tear his eyes away from his naked body. Luhan could see the greed in his eyes, and he hated it. «This late at night, sir?»

Luhan smiled at him, baring his fangs on purpose. «Yes. I have an urgent matter to discuss with him.»

The man started to sweat. «Aish. Well, if you follow this street at then you turn left, there’s a building. Jinki lives there, or at least it’s one of his many houses. Unless you’re referring to the place where he keeps his trophies and stuff... I think it’s a warehouse, or a garage of some sort.»

Luhan narrowed his eyes. «Trophies?»

«Yes, like... uh... some famous beasts he captured and he embalmed as a souvenir, I guess, and furs and skins and God knows what else, but...»

Luhan’s heart was caught in a vise. «Tell me where it is. The trophies’ warehouse.»

Apparently, something in his tone made the man talk at double speed. «A couple kilometres away from here, you can’t get wrong, you follow the directions for the industrial site then you can see it from afar, it’s a black cube with a lot of security around. It won’t be easy getting in, especially for you...»

«That’s not your business.»

«Sure, sir. I’m sorry, sir.»

Still naked, carrying his little bundle of clothes and the gun in the middle, Luhan stormed out of the shop, heading towards the industrial site. He had a feeling that Jinki was there, and Minseok’s scent was guiding him in the same place.

He changed in his wolf form and grabbed the bundle with his teeth, starting to run at a crazy speed.

\---oOo---

The security’s display was amazing. Luhan could see dozens of men guarding the building even from far apart. Minseok’s scent, now that he was so near, was very strong, and he was sure he was in the right place.

He carefully studied the situation from where he was. He was pretty sure the equipped bodyguards weren’t the only precaution that Jinki took, and he kept observing to detect every single detail.

It took a while, but while he walked around he noticed that the building was surrounded by symbols traced on the asphalt with chalk, and he could also see runes and other signs he didn’t know made with salt. Apparently, Jinki was smart enough to take some protection against the witches, but he didn’t consider wolves that menacing, since Luhan walked through the many spells without any problem.

The guards were all humans, he was sure of it, because a wolf would immediately feel his presence. In his animal form, he passed through them quite easily, and he soon found a half-opened window from where he entered the building.

When he got in, he quickly changed in his human form, got dressed and grabbed the gun. He was suddenly thrown back by an unbearable stench. He shook his head, trying to overcome the feeling of disgust, but the smell was too strong, and he had to take several deep breaths in order to keep going.

The warehouse consisted of a huge room loaded with Jinki’s hunting trophies, from where it came the awful smell of death and corruption. In the semi-darkness, Luhan shivered, noticing sirens, faes, and even a real dragon, his scales capturing all the light, all arranged in grotesque poses and stuffed with straw, their faces frozen in a fake expression of fury. There were many werewolves, naturally, males, females and also a couple children, which made his hair stand on his nape. Apart from those, there were many other things, gathered from all around the world. Luhan saw an Egyptian mummy with an elaborate mask encased in jewels, funerary urns that could be Greek or God knew what else, medieval books, human bones, and even a terrifying thing made of animal teeth, stones and fur that looked like a voodoo.  Suddenly, he felt too tiny and helpless, among all those dead bodies and ancient objects soaked with evil. It was like walking into a cemetery, or violating some forbidden place.

He grabbed his gun more tightly, trying to walk without staggering. In the back of the warehouse there was a small room, which door was unlocked. Luhan could smell Minseok on the inside, as well as Jinki. Surprisingly enough, he never smelled Taemin’s presence, but he couldn’t remember what the demon smelled like.

He was considering about knocking the door over, when a polite voice talked from the inside.

«Why don’t you just come in, Luhan? I’ve been waiting for you.»

Luhan froze in absolute terror.

«Come in, I won’t bite you. You’re the wolf anyway.»

Luhan barged inside while Jinki’s laughter was still ringing around the silent warehouse, but when he witnessed the scene before his eyes, he couldn’t move an inch.

Minseok looked terribly small and tiny, and his face was deadly pale, while Taemin held him against himself, half-wrapping him in his black robes. Jinki was sitting beside, cackling. It was the absolute portrait of evil, and Luhan couldn’t stand it.

He pointed his gun. «Let him go» he said, «now.»

«Here, here» Jinki said. «You’ve been so nice to come here so quickly. I was just thinking of some way to lure you here, but apparently you spared me half of the hard work.»

Luhan bared his fangs, furious. He growled out loudly for the first time of his life, behaving like a true beast, but Jinki wasn’t impressed at all by his display of rage. «You still dare threatening me like this, while being all alone against someone like me?»

«Yes» Luhan simply replied, before taking a step forward and cocking his gun. «I’m here to kill you.»

Jinki pursed his lips. «To set your mate free, I presume.»

«Not only for that. Also for setting up the War of Blood and causing my mate and my pack terrible suffering. For what you did to the Yitiao Langs... and for the way you _played_ with our lives.»

It was the absolute truth, he realized. He was there to get Minseok back, but also to get some revenge for his fellows. He was one of them, now, and he loved each one of them.

«Praiseworthy» Jinki commented, «but I’m afraid I can’t let you do anything of that.»

Luhan realized too late that Taemin’s lips had been moving for a while, mouthing a spell without letting out any sound. He fell on his knees, strength leaving his body, the gun falling on the ground far from him.

«Cheater» he roared, «you would be nothing without him!»

«Maybe you’re right» Jinki replied, towering over him while Luhan’s eyes closed, «but this doesn’t change the fact that I always get what I want, in the end.»


	15. Fifteen

Luhan was laying on the cold linoleum, hands and ankles tied together. He could see Jinki moving around him, tracing an elaborate circle on the floor with chalk, adding many arcane symbols that he never saw before. «Amazing, isn’t it? This stuff comes straight from ancient Mesopotamia, and apparently, Taemin does too. His real name’s Azag, or something like that. During ancient times, he was really badass. He could make the most powerful emperors fall by spreading plagues and diseases. His name was a synonym of death and destruction. Believe it or not, I found him by chance, at a souk in Iran. He was trapped inside an anonymous-looking recipient, just like Aladdin’s genius. Amazing, isn’t it? I recognized the symbols on the vase and I knew I had to get it no matter what, because it would solve every trouble of mine. And the dude who sold him to me only asked for a few pennies in exchange.» The hunter cackled, wiping his sweaty forehead. «The world’s full of idiots. I got a demon who might be able to crush the world itself for a few coins, and shortly after I found out I was deadly sick. What a coincidence, don’t you think? It’s been terribly difficult, though, finding someone suitable to be the fuel of the spell. I was starting to lose hope, until I stumbled upon you and your annoying pack mates.»

Luhan was barely listening to him. He kept glancing towards Minseok, who was laying a little away from him, his face pale, his eyes closed. He looked dead, except for his chest lifting ever so slightly from time to time.

During Jinki’s monologue, Taemin kept standing in a corner, looking uninterested. His gaze was focused somewhere else, and Luhan shivered when he caught a glimpse of something moving among all the stuffed trophies’ bodies. Under his terrified eyes, the demon stepped forward and grabbed the person that was trying to run away. It was only a child, and he even lacked the strength to squirm away from Taemin’s hold.

«Hey» Luhan murmured, when the demon dropped the kid next to him, in the middle of the circle, «are you okay? Does it hurt somewhere?»

The kid’s eyes were empty and dead. «I want my mama» he whined. Then, his nostrils caught Luhan’s scent. «Are you a wolf?»

«Yes» Luhan gently replied, «just like you. Don’t be scared, we’ll figure a way out of here.»

The kid shivered. «They caught my mama» he murmured, pointing at the trophies, «she’s there.»

Luhan’s heart sank, remembering the dead female wolf he saw before. «We have to be brave» he said, unable to find anything better to tell that poor puppy. He didn’t look any older than four or five, and judging from the state of his hair and clothes, he’d been trapped there for days. «What’s your name?»

The kid crept closer to him, obeying to his instinct and hugging Luhan in search of warmth and protection. «Ji Tae.»

Luhan bent down his head, so that he could let the kid press onto his chest. In a corner of his mind, he wondered if his puppy would look like him, with his big eyes and soft cheeks. It couldn’t end like that... not after all that struggling.

He took a deep breath, trying to convey some calmness to the puppy. «We’ll get out of here, Ji Tae. Don’t worry.»

Jinki let out a gargling laughter. «Yeah, sure. You’ll get out of here, but like dead corpses. And your alpha will perfectly fit into my collection, just like this whiny puppy’s mother.»

At the mention of his mother, Ji Tae shivered and whimpered softly. «Don’t listen to him» Luhan murmured, struggling to switch to his best soothing voice in spite of his own fear. «He’s sick and evil. Close your eyes.»

Trembling, the puppy obeyed to him. «You smell nice» he stuttered. Luhan wished he could hug him properly. He strained his neck to reach the kid’s temple, kissing it gently. «I’m Luhan, Ji Tae.»

«Enough with the whining» Jinki screamed, tossing the chalk away.  «Demon! Now it’s time to do your job.»

Taemin looked at him. «You got me the omega and the puppy» he said, «but I’ll need your own blood too to make the spell work. One drop or two will be enough.»

Jinki snorted. «Greedy bastard» he cursed, rolling up his sleeve and baring his own arm. «You just never have enough, don’t you?»

The demon smiled, his glistening eyes following the hunter grabbing his own knife and cutting deeply onto his skin. Luhan wriggled on the side, because he didn’t want Jinki’s blood to splatter over himself.

«You’d better begin, now» Jinki growled, through gritted teeth.

Taemin closed his eyes, and Luhan braced himself for what was about to come.

Suddenly, the circle traced on the floor flashed before erupting into flames. Ji Tae screamed, and Luhan tried his best to shield him with his bent up body. He could see Minseok opening his eyes from behind the thick wall of fire, getting into a sitting position and looking terrified.

Taemin’s eyes were red, and his power was making him feel sick on his stomach. It was too thick, too strong. He tried wriggling away from the magic circle, but Jinki saw him and kicked him hard on his stomach. «Where the fuck do you think you’re going?»

Luhan gasped, pain suddenly making him see stars. The hunter kicked him hard, right into his lower belly, where his puppy was deeply nestled, surely as restless as her father.

Luhan rolled onto his back with a scream.

«Shut up» Jinki growled at him, before talking directly to Taemin. «What’s making you take so long?»

The demon, his eyes still red like fire itself, was as stiff as a statue. Too stiff, Luhan suddenly thought. «I am blocked» Taemin replied. «Something is...»

In that moment, Luhan felt the vibration in the air change subtly. Someone else was using magic, he was sure of it. Trembling, he reached out for  Ji Tae. His lower belly was still hurting, and he was terribly scared for his puppy. No, not his puppy, for his baby girl. He was keeping his eyes tightly shut, trying to focus on breathing and relaxing properly, when Taeyeon and Yoona made their grand appearance.

«You furballs take care of the little alpha laying there» Yoona said, walking towards Taemin as if she was on the catwalk. «I’ll go after the bigger fish.»

«We’re not taking orders from you, witch» a voice Luhan knew well retorted, and he actually opened his eyes, seeing Joonmyeon and the Neugdaes gathered around Minseok, helping him on his feet. His mate’s eyes looked big and young in his face, and Luhan would have done everything to be able to reach out and comfort him.

Yoona put her hand over her hip. «Let’s put it simple, demon. You can’t move because our spell is blocking you. Since we’re way brighter than these poor wolfies, we made some researches and we learnt about this place way before them. We knew this would be the perfect set for your spell, and we took some small... well, precautions.»

Luhan suddenly remembered the symbols and runes he saw outside. He’d thought they were Jinki’s doings, but apparently they weren’t. 

Taeyeon took over Yoona. «We just needed to perform a basic blocking spell» she explained, «and voilà. You are trapped. And I guess you know what we’re going to do next.»

Taemin looked at them, his eyes still red and gleaming. The evil gathering around him was making Luhan almost choke. It was too much... hundreds of centuries of murder, greed and violence, all concentrated into a single person.

Yoona tossed a tiny metal box in the middle of the circle. It was really just a box, Luhan thought, anything too fancy. When he saw it, though, Taemin looked suddenly terrified.

«I guess he knows, Taeyeonnie» Yoona cooed, before screaming aloud. «Come on, sisters! Let’s get rid of him.»

Luhan closed his eyes again, whimpering. The coven’s power riled up into the air, overwhelming the demon’s. Luhan gritted his teeth, wishing he couldn’t hear his shrieks and cries while he was being sucked into the tiny box to get trapped in there.

The whole process was over in a short while. When he heard the click of the metal box being shut, Luhan finally dared to open his eyes, seeing Yoona put the box into her pocket and smile at him daringly. «Hello, pretty. Are you okay?»

The fire disappeared, and Joonmyeon stepped into the circle, facing Jinki with a fierce expression. The hunter stepped back, blood still dripping from his cut arm. «Wait. Wait, we need to talk. I was forced to do this... I am going to die.»

«I’ll make you regret touching my pack member» Joonmyeon said, his power infecting the air all around. Luhan heard his growl, and when he watched, he saw that the pack leader’s arm changed into a half-human, half-wolfish form, being covered in thick, dark fur until elbow-length, his nails turned into sharp claws.

«No» Jinki begged, «please. I’ll do anything...»

With just one powerful stroke, Joonmyeon slaughtered him.

\---oOo---

Lee Jinki’s warehouse of horrors was being dismantled. The Yitiao Langs, led by Kibum, were taking care of the many corpses of their fellow wolves, turned into hunting trophies by the human’s greed, to give them a proper burial. The witches, meanwhile, were carefully selecting the many magical objects scattered all around, destroying those that might be harmful.

The Neugdaes, after helping their allies with their tasks, gathered themselves around Luhan and Minseok to keep them company.

«Baekhyun gave birth. It’s a boy» Kai announced, making everyone explode in loud cheers.

Luhan smiled, comfortably nestled into Minseok’s arms. Since Sehun helped him getting rid of the ropes tying his wrists and ankles, he immediately ran to the alpha, refusing to leave his side. «How’s Chanyeol?»

«Bawling his eyes out like a girl. Baekhyun and his puppy are both healthy, and Yixing is taking good care of them» Kai replied, casually hugging the shy Kyungsoo from behind and stamping a loud kiss over the omega’s cheek. The little scene that followed, with the crimson-faced omega pushing the tall beta away, elicited a general laughter again.

«Kyungsoo» Jongdae suddenly interrupted them, holding Ji Tae’s hand, «I might need another cup or two of rice soon.»

«The pot’s over there» the other omega replied, looking at the way the puppy kept spooning the rice he’d served him just a few minutes before. Needless to say, little Ji Tae immediately became the mascot of their group, with Tao and Sehun taking turns playing with him and trying to make him smile. The puppy’s joy to be around friendly wolves again was touching, but it was Jongdae who won his heart, taking care of him with infinite patience while he went around searching for some clean clothes for him, and also helping him get washed and finding something to eat. Now Ji Tae was at his second bowl of rice, and he seemed he couldn’t have enough.

Luhan thought that his friend looked perfectly at ease, taking care of the puppy. Joonmyeon, though, was looking at him with a pensive frown.

«What are you brooding about?» he asked.

The pack leader glanced at him. «Nothing» he replied, absent-mindedly. «I was just thinking that he’ll have a very hard time, away from his mother. He’s too young to provide for himself.»

«Fine. And what will you do with him?»

Joonmyeon followed his gaze, slowly taking in the scene that was rolling a little apart from them. Jongdae, who was sitting cross-leggedly, was holding Ji Tae on his lap, slowly feeding him some rice, helping the starving kid not to choke on the food. Luhan saw the tears glistening in his eyes, and he dared putting his hand over the pack leader’s shoulder.

«He’s an orphan, Joonmyeon. He needs love and a family that’s able to make him forget about all this. And you can see how Jongdae is already fond of him.»

The pack leader was shivering. «I... I don’t know if I’ll be able to...» he choked on his words, swallowing hard. When he was like that, Luhan was finally able to see his most vulnerable and sensitive side. He knew that sometimes Joonmyeon acted tough, but he knew he was kind and generous at heart. «I don’t want him to replace the one I lost. Doesn’t seem fair to me.»

Gently, Luhan leant onto him. «Leader, it’s over now. Stop keeping the straight face. You can let go, now, and you can let yourself be happy.»

Joonmyeon, though, wasn’t listening to him. His gaze was transfixed into Jongdae’s eyes, while the omega stared back at him with a soft smile, still holding the puppy, whose eyes were starting to close, against himself. Gently, Joonmyeon disentangled himself from Luhan’s arms and slowly, kind of unsteadily, reached his mate, sitting down next to him and stroking Ji Tae’s hair.

Luhan closed his eyes, feeling terribly tired. He could feel Minseok’s hand still holding his one, and when he opened his eyes he found himself staring right into the alpha’s gentle ones. «Finally we can be together» Minseok murmured. «Finally.»

Luhan nodded. He was about to add something, when the most horrible pain he ever felt in his lifetime made him bent over and fell on the ground.

«Luhan!» Minseok screamed, grabbing him tightly, «Luhan!»

Luhan, though, couldn’t reply. He was having a seizure, trembling hard, caught in the spasms of pain radiating from his belly. It must have been the effect of Jinki’s last blow, aimed at his poor puppy. He’d been an idiot, not asking Yixing to check on him immediately. Actually, he didn’t know what was going on... but he was sure about a thing.

He would never forgive himself, if his puppy was going to die.

\---oOo---

He was underwater, floating around. He was feeling strangely good, strangely at peace, as if he still was into his mother’s womb.

«Luhan» a voice kept calling, «it’s going to be alright. Don’t worry. Just sleep.»

It was a voice he knew, but it came from far away, and Luhan was tired and sleepy, and he didn’t want to move. He was feeling too good, finally at peace, away from all the worries and dangers of the past few months.

He wished it could last forever.

Then, suddenly, he felt it. He was alone... alone as he hadn’t felt for long. But that wasn’t the right word to describe the weird mixture of emotions that suddenly took over him.

 _Empty_. That was the right one.

He stood, looking around. Nobody was in sight, and he was standing in a pristine white place, void of everything. When he placed his hand over his belly, looking for the faint movement he knew by heart, he felt nothing.

«Little one?» he called, softly, unable to believe it.

No response. Everything was silent, everything was motionless.

He dropped on his knees, lost in the throes of his own desperation. His baby was gone. Minseok and his’ sweet girl, she was gone. She wasn’t inside of him anymore.

He started crying bitterly, screaming and bawling like a little kid. He’d wanted so badly to hold her, to lull her to sleep, to see her grow and become as beautiful as Minseok. She was the daughter of their love, and she didn’t deserve to die in that shameful way.

The nightmare dissipated. He opened his eyes, finding himself laying in a small cot. His hands immediately ran to his belly, while he madly hoped it was just a bad dream, but the awful truth hit him like a hammer. Under his fingers, he could feel bandages and medications, and the rough profiles of the stitches that kept the C-section on his belly tightly shut. Straining to prevent himself from screaming in pain, he managed to pull in a sitting position, panting because the burn was hard to bear.

His heart was pounding. Was she dead? Their daughter? Did someone tear her away from his womb?

Somehow, he crawled out of the bed. He could barely walk, all curled up like an old man, because the stitches hurt and his eyes were so full of tears he couldn’t see where he was going.

A door was slammed open. «Luhan» Minseok breathed, before running to catch him before he could fall. «What are you doing? You’re supposed to stay in bed.»

«Our daughter. Where is she?»

Minseok froze at the sudden question, looking at him with big, frightened eyes. «Luhan...»

Luhan started crying hard, leaning onto him with all his weight. «Is she dead? I want to see her. Please.»

The alpha’s arms tightened around him. «You need to calm down before. Yixing performed a difficult surgery on you, I don’t want you to hurt yourself...»

«Screw myself! I need to see her.» He clutched onto Minseok, weeping into his chest. «Please. She’s my baby.»

Minseok sighed. «Fine. Come with me. But you need to calm down, okay? Here, lean on me.»

Luhan obeyed, feeling empty and wobbly. He leant on Minseok, walking past the room where he’d been treated. He couldn’t recognize the building where he was, but he could see some of the Yitiao Langs he met in the underground hideout walking around. Maybe it belonged to Kibum, but he didn’t care.

All it mattered was his daughter.

Finally, Minseok led him in front of a closed door and stopped. «She’s here.» He looked at him, concern showing on his face. «Are you really sure you can handle...»

«Yes» Luhan cut him off, frantic.

Holding him tightly, Minseok pushed the door open.

It was a nursery. Luhan saw a crib, where a newborn with a huge bundle of black hair over his head was whining softly and an omega wolf and his mate were bending down to comfort him. It took him a while to recognize Baekhyun and Chanyeol. That wasn’t what he expected to see... he’d been sure they walked into a morgue, but apparently he’d been wrong.

In the middle of the room there was a big incubator, and when he saw who was laying inside his heart skipped a beat.

Minseok pressed a gentle kiss over his temple. «You wouldn’t let me finish explaining» he murmured. «Jinki’s kick almost made us lose her. You had a severe haemorrhage, but Yixing operated on you immediately and managed to save her.  She’s premature, but she’s reacting positively to the treatment. She’s a little fighter.» The alpha swallowed. «You lost a lot of blood and slept for two weeks straight. We were starting to fear you would never wake up.»

Luhan slowly walked closer to the incubator. Their daughter was beautiful... he couldn’t find another way to describe her. «She’s so tiny» was all he could say, before finally finding the courage to face Minseok, who was looking at him with tears into his eyes.

«I thought... I thought I was going to lose you» the alpha stated, his voice cracking softly.

Luhan wiped the tears that were spilling over Minseok’s cheeks, leaning over him, his eyes still transfixed over the premature baby trashing and whining softly inside of the incubator. «I’m sorry, love. I will never leave you... the both of you. I swear.»

 


	16. Epilogue

\---oOo--- Five years later ---oOo---

 

«Sohee» Luhan called, «don’t get too far from home, okay?»

«Okay, daddy.»

The little girl ran downhill, exactly the direction Luhan expected her to take, without caring if her light chestnut curls would fly everywhere. It took an awfully long while, and several reassurances from Yixing, for Luhan to get fully convinced that his daughter was perfectly healthy and her life wasn’t in danger anymore. Seeing how she grew up, beautiful, and with those bright almond-shaped eyes that she inherited from Minseok, Luhan was proud of her. The fear of losing her, though, still lingered deep inside of him, assaulting him in the dead of the night or when he found himself thinking he was really happy.

«Brooding again?»

Luhan smiled, letting Minseok hug him from behind. «I was just remembering things.»

Minseok pressed a kiss on the side of Luhan’s neck. He knew his mate enough to be perfectly aware of the fact that, when Luhan was like that, a million words would not be enough to soothe him. Keeping silent, and being close to him was what worked the best, and he’d mastered that skill during the years they spent together.

«Soon we’ll get back to the pack» Luhan murmured, after a long silence. From where they were, they could hear Sohee’s happy screams while she played in the lawn. «I really can’t wait to see the others. Jongdae... Sehun, Tao... I miss them all. Even Joonmyeon. All of them, really. I’d have never thought our bond was so strong, when we parted. I realized it just when we were already here.»

Holding him tightly, Minseok rested his forehead in the crook of Luhan’s shoulder. «It’s our nature» he said. «Wolves are not born to be loners. They are made to be in groups, to love and help each other, and to respect hierarchy.»

Luhan nodded. «I know what you mean. I was so mad at Joonmyeon, when he told us we had to be exiled because we violated the pack’s rules. I thought he was just being unfair, after all we did for them. But now I know I wasn’t seeing things the right way.»

«As you said, the exile is almost over. In a couple days, we’ll be able to return.»

«I’m excited» Luhan admitted, «and scared, too. Are we supposed to bring Joonmyeon some kind of gift? Or is it okay to get back empty-handed?»

Minseok chuckled. «It’s not a family reunion in the human world, Luhan, it’s a pack of werewolves.»

«Yes, but I still consider them my family.»

A loud yapping noise could be heard from afar. «She’s done it again» Luhan sighed.

«Be patient. She just learned how to shift, let her play.»

«Shouldn’t we warn her? Here we are isolated from the rest of the world, but when we’ll get back to the Neugdaes, she’ll need to learn what a real werewolf’s life is.»

«Getting anxious again, love?»

Luhan acted annoyed, but he gladly accepted the second kiss Minseok placed on his cheek. He was so happy Joonmyeon agreed to let them share their exile without tearing their newly-formed family apart. He had the feeling he would have been a terrible father to Sohee, if his mate wasn’t around. He was way to apprehensive, way too pressuring with her, as if she was made of crystal and could be shattered at any time.

«Our daughter is stubborn and strong-fibered» Minseok went on. «She’ll be a great addiction to the pack.»

Suddenly, Luhan straightened up, alarmed. «Can you smell it?»

«What?»

«Wolves. Many wolves approaching» Luhan replied, putting on his shoes frantically. «I shall look for Sohee immediately...»

«Can’t you recognize your pack members’ scent, now?» a known voice bellowed, while Kai barged in their little house’s patio, which now seemed even smaller, barely able to contain the beta’s tall frame.

Minseok screamed in excitement, wrapping his fellow in a bear hug. «Kai! I can’t believe you’re here!»

«We’re here too» Jongdae announced, appearing in front of Luhan, who jumped straight between the arms his best friend was stretching out for him. What he didn’t expect, though, was Joonmyeon to hug the both of them as well.

«We’re here to escort you guys back to the pack» he said. «Your exile is over.»

«I’m glad to hear that, leader» Minseok replied, shaking his hand, but Joonmyeon was still looking tense.

«You aren’t holding any grudge against me, right?»

Minseok just smiled, dissipating the tension, and everybody suddenly relaxed, sitting on the patio and enjoying some sweets that Luhan brought for them to eat.

«And how’s Ji Tae?» Luhan asked, happy to see a sweet smile appear on Jongdae’s lips.

«He had a little hard time at the beginning, since he wasn’t used living in a pack, but I must admit Sehun was an excellent baby-sitter to him. He taught him a lot of things.»

«That’s because he’s a puppy himself» Kai reminded them. «Can you pass me some of those cookies, please?»

«By the way, I can’t see him anywhere» Joonmyeon suddenly said.

«He must have gone exploring around» Jongdae calmly stated, «he likes wandering by himself.»

«Well» Minseok said, holding a bottle of liquor, «shall we grown-ups have a little drink, then?»

From the place she had been playing alone, Sohee was smelling some unknowns’ scent and the expensive alcohol that her dads kept for special occasions. She couldn’t understand very well who all that people was, but her dads were so happy to see them that she wasn’t afraid at all. Actually, she was glad someone finally came to see them in that isolated place. Being with her dads was awesome, daddy Minseok was great at playing with her and daddy Luhan’s hugs were especially warm and loving, but lately she’d been dying to meet someone else. Not that anything was wrong with her dads... she was just curious to see what the world was like.  

She was just about to climb her way back uphill, when she heard a rustling in the long grass behind her back. When she watched, she saw a boy was staring at her.

«Hello» she greeted, as politely as daddy Luhan taught her. «I’m Sohee. What’s your name?»

The boy was older than her, around ten years old. He was also very cute, with his long bangs always getting into his eyes. «Uhm, Ji Tae.»

« _That_ Ji Tae?» Sohee got excited. «I heard stories about you. Daddy Luhan told me everything.»

The boy’s cheeks reddened. «Really?»

«Yes, really.» The girl reached out for him. «Wanna see my home? We have chicken coops.»

Ji Tae grimaced. «Eww. What’s so awesome about having chicken coops?»

Sohee smirked at him. «You know... after you shift, the chicken would get _really_ scared and run everywhere.»

«Oooh» Ji Tae looked tempted. «But aren’t the adults going to get mad at us?»

Sohee shook her pretty curls. «Just let me handle the whole thing» she said, and her tone was so convincing, and her smile so bright, that Ji Tae took her hand without thinking twice and he walked with her towards the little house on top of the hill.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's over! *throws confetti*  
> I'd like to thank all those who commented, left kudos or just read this story. This was great fun to write for me, and I hope I brightened up someone else's day :)  
> If you want, you can check my new fic, _Jewel in the palace_. Again, thank you all <3333


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